Effects of chronic and repeated corticosterone administration in rearing chickens on physiology, the onset of lay and egg production of hens

A corticosterone model was used to study the effects of chronic and repeated stress during the rearing phase on physiology, the onset of lay and performance of laying hens in the subsequent laying period. Two hundred and seventy Hy-line brown layer pullets were reared in environmentally controlled battery cages. At 7, 11, and 15 weeks of age birds were exposed for 1 week to the following treatments in drinking water: corticosterone dissolved in...