The present study was conducted in the Poultry Research Station of Isfahan University of Technology (Isfahan, Iran). All procedures were approved by the Isfahan University of Technology Animal Care and Use Committee. A total of 360 Hy-Line W-36 Leghorn hens, 26 wk of age, were randomly assigned to 12 experimental treatments consisting of 2 cage densities [5 or 7 hens/cage (40 x 45 cm)], 2 vitamin C levels (0
and 500 mg/kg), and 3 supplemental Cr levels (0, 500, and
1000 μg/kg) based on a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of
treatments with 5 cages per treatment. The Cr and vitamin C supplementations were made using organic Cr