1. Energy is often considered the “Fuel of Life”. Primarily, it is needed for maintaining basic
metabolism (maintenance energy). Any excess is then used for production of meat (growth)
and/or eggs (production). Fed too much energy, hens become overweight (excess growth)
leading to poor production. If fed too little energy, hens begin using protein to meet their basic
maintenance needs and egg production may be compromised. As is the case with most things
in life, balance is the key. This article is an attempt to provide a flock manager with some tools
to use when making decisions on feeding energy to a breeder flock. Some of the research
cited is not current and is in no way intended to be anything more than an example of the
thought processes that may be helpful when making difficult decisions about feeding.
Energy is essential to meet our most basic needs: cooking, boiling water, lighting and heating. It is also a prerequisite for good health – a reality that has been largely ignored by the world community.
2. Coal and diamond are two examples of carbon allotropes, where the carbon atoms are bonded together in different configurations. These structural differences result in very different material properties, such as hardness.
On its own, carbon cannot form diamonds under the surface of the Earth. Both coal and diamond are made primarily from carbon, but their chemical structures are significantly different. Coal is formed from highly impure carbon that often contains elements like oxygen, selenium, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur.
