scholarly journals Influence of dietary vitamin C and selenium, alone and in combination, on the performance of laying hens and quality of eggs

2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 91-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Skřivan ◽  
M. Marounek ◽  
M. Englmaierová ◽  
V. Skřivanová

Two hundred and forty laying hens were fed diets supplemented with vitamin C and selenium (Se). Vitamin C was added at 0 or 200 mg/kg, and Se was added as sodium selenite or selenized yeast at 0.3 mg/kg. The feed intake and egg production were measured, and egg quality parameters were determined. Supplementation of the basal diet with Se significantly increased the laying performance; however, vitamin C significantly decreased feed intake and egg production. Vitamin C increased vitamin E concentration in the yolk. Both selenite and Se-enriched yeast increased the vitamin E concentration in the yolk and the Se concentration in the yolk and albumen. The oxidative stability of yolk lipids was improved in hens fed diets supplemented with sodium selenite, but not in those fed diets supplemented with Se-yeast. After 28 days of storage, however, the beneficial effect of selenite on lipid stability ceased. The supplementation of the basal diet with vitamin C significantly worsened the oxidative stability of yolk lipids, indicating that vitamin C acted as a pro-oxidant. Thus, vitamin C increased the laying performance and influenced some traits of egg quality. The combined supplementation of vitamin C and Se did not prove to be successful.

2012 ◽  
Vol 48 (No. 1 - 2) ◽  
pp. 33-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Kucuk ◽  
N. Sahin ◽  
K. Sahin ◽  
Gursu MF ◽  
F. Gulcu ◽  
...  

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (α-tocopherol acetate) on egg production, egg quality, lipid peroxidation status (measured as MDA), and some serum metabolites in laying hens (Hy-Line) maintained at a low ambient temperature (6°C). One hundred and twenty laying hens (18-wk-old) were divided into four groups, 30 hens per group. The laying hens were fed either a basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with either 250 mg of L-ascorbic acid/kg of diet, 250 mg of α-tocopherol acetate/kg of diet or 250 mg of L-ascorbic acid plus 250 mg of α-tocopherol acetate/kg of diet. Although feed consumption of the hens was similar (P > 0.05) among treatments, supplemental vitamin C and E significantly increased final body weight, egg production, and improved feed efficiency (P < 0.05). Egg weights were also greater (P < 0.05) in hens supplemented with the combination of vitamin C and E than that of hens supplemented either vitamin or no vitamin (control). Haugh unit did not change upon each vitamin supplementation, but the combination of the vitamin supplement yielded a higher Haugh unit (P < 0.05). Each dietary supplement of vitamin C and vitamin E improved the egg quality (P < 0.05) resulting in a greater specific gravity, thicker egg shell, and heavier egg shell weight. Separately or as a combination, supplemental vitamin C and E decreased MDA, glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations (P < 0.05). Results of the present study showed that supplementing vitamin C and vitamin E, particularly as a combination, improved the performance of cold-stressed laying hens, offering a potential protective management practice in preventing cold stress-related losses in performance of laying hens. Results of the present study also indicated that the effects of vitamin C and vitamin E are additive.


1970 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
MS Rahman ◽  
MAR Howlider ◽  
M Mahiuddin ◽  
MM Rahman

The study was conducted to determine the effect of organic acids supplementation on body weight changes, feed intake, feed efficiency, egg production, egg weight and egg quality in laying hens at age between 67 and 74 weeks. A total of 48 Shaver 579 laying hens of 67 weeks age were allotted into 4 groups, each containing 12 hens. The hens were fed basal diet (17% CP and 2800 kcal ME/kg diet) supplemented with 0 (T1), 260 (T2), 520 (T3) and 780 ppm (T4) of organic acid mixture (fumaric acid and salt of butyric, propionic and lactic acids). The results revealed no effect of organic acids supplementation on body weight change and feed intake but improvement of egg production and feed conversion were observed. Organic acids supplementation significantly increased egg production by about 2.26, 8.0 and 9.84% on 260, 520 and 780 ppm respectively when compared with the untreated group (P<0.05). Feed conversion showed a significant (P<0.05) improvement in laying hen groups which fed on the basal diet supplemented with organic acids at 260, 520 and 780 ppm by about 1.85, 8.48 and 7.74% respectively when compared with the control. On the other hand, dietary organic acid had no effect on the average egg weight, while showed a lower percentage of large (P<0.05) and extra large egg (P<0.01) size compared with control group. Body composition parameters were not affected (P>0.05) by dietary treatments. Inclusion of organic acids improved egg shell thickness (P<0.05) while significantly reduced albumen index (P<0.05). Incorporation of organic acids attributed to significant increase per cent albumen (P<0.01) and significant decrease in yolk per cent (P<0.05). It can be concluded that organic acid supplementation of laying hens diet may improve persistency of lay and feed conversion. From economical point of view, it is concluded that organic acid addition (520 ppm) may result an economic benefit of layer production at older age. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v37i2.9884 BJAS 2008; 37(2): 74-81


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1475
Author(s):  
Damini Kothari ◽  
Jong-Seok Oh ◽  
Ju-Hee Kim ◽  
Woo-Do Lee ◽  
Soo-Ki Kim

This study aimed to investigate the supplemental effects of fermented pine (Pinus densiflora) needle extract (FPNE) in laying hen diets on productive performance, egg quality, and serum lipid metabolites. A total of 108 40-week-old Hy-line brown laying hens were randomly assigned to one of the three dietary treatment groups: (1) basal diet + 0 mL FPNE/kg diet (CON), (2) basal diet + 2.5 mL FPNE/kg diet (T1), or (3) basal diet + 5 mL FPNE/kg diet (T2) for 6 weeks. Each group consisted of four replicates of nine hens each. Feed and water provided ad libitum. Results showed that dietary supplementation of FPNE increased egg production percentage (linear, p < 0.01 and quadratic, p < 0.05), egg mass (linear, p < 0.05), and feed intake (linear, p < 0.05) during the entire experimental period. In addition, dietary inclusion of FPNE significantly increased the eggshell color (linear, p < 0.01), egg yolk color (quadratic, p < 0.01), and eggshell breaking strength (linear, p < 0.05 and quadratic, p < 0.05) while the Haugh unit decreased (quadratic, p < 0.05). However, serum lipid profile did not differ among the dietary treatments (p > 0.05). Notably, antioxidant activity of egg yolk was improved by significantly decreasing the malondialdehyde content in egg yolks after 6 weeks of storage (linear, p < 0.001 and quadratic, p < 0.05). In summary, dietary inclusion of FPNE could improve laying performance and the antioxidant capacity of eggs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-294
Author(s):  
Seung-Gyu Moon ◽  
Sung-Kwang Lee ◽  
Woo-Do Lee ◽  
Kai-Min Niu ◽  
Won-Uk Hwang ◽  
...  

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the supplementary effect of a phytogenic blend (SPA: a mixture containing fermented <i>Schisandra chinensis</i> pomace, fermented <i>Pinus densiflora</i> needle extract, and <i>Allium tuberosum</i> powder in the ratio of 2:2:1) on egg production, egg quality, blood constituents, and visceral organs in laying hens.Methods: A total of 135 Hy-line brown laying hens (48-wk-old) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 9 hens. The control group (CON) was fed a basal diet (no exogenous SPA addition) and the experimental groups were fed the basal diet containing SPA at the level of 0.1% and 0.3% for 6 weeks.Results: The feed intake was significantly improved in SPA supplemented groups as compared with the control (p<0.05). However, egg production, daily egg mass, and feed conversion ratio were not different among the dietary treatments (p>0.05). For egg quality traits, only Haugh unit (HU) was significantly improved in SPA (0.3%) (p<0.05) as compared with other groups. However, HU was not affected during 4-wk of storage at 18°C among the dietary treatments (p>0.05). Furthermore, SPA supplementation did not affect the blood biochemical constituents except for the phosphate content, which was significantly higher in SPA groups than the CON group (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in visceral organ characteristics and immune indicators (immunoglobulin A [IgA], IgG, and IgM) in SPA or CON groups.Conclusion: This study suggested that the supplementation of SPA may have beneficial effects on feed intake and egg quality in laying hens.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1381
Author(s):  
Tzuen-Rong J Tzeng ◽  
Tzu-Yu Liu ◽  
Chiao-Wei Lin ◽  
Pei-En Chang ◽  
Pei-Xin Liao ◽  
...  

Alternative growth promoters are able to not only effectively replace the traditional use of antibiotics but also provide additional health benefits for livestock and reduce food safety concerns. This study investigated the effects of dry Hydrastis canadensis on the laying performance and fecal microbial community of laying hens. Twenty-four Lohmann (LSL, white layer strain) hens were reared from 40 to 48 weeks of age and randomly allotted to four dietary treatments (six birds/treatment). The dietary treatments comprised a basal diet with no treatment as control, a basal diet plus 0.6% powder of dry Hydrastis canadensis roots (R) or leaves (L), and a basal diet plus 0.6% powder of a mixture of dry Hydrastis canadensis roots and leaves (1:1, LR). No mortality was observed in the whole experimental period. The results indicated that albumen height in the LR group was significantly greater than that in the control group. The diet supplemented with Hydrastis canadensis had no significant effects on egg production rate, egg weight, eggshell strength, eggshell thickness, Haugh unit, or yolk height during the whole experimental phase. However, principal coordinate analysis, comparative heat map analysis, and cluster dendrogram analysis of cecal microbiota showed distinct clusters among the groups treated with Hydrastis canadensis and the control group. Regarding blood biochemical parameters, serum cholesterol levels were significantly lower in all Hydrastis canadensis-treated groups compared with those in the control group. Moreover, serum low-density lipoprotein levels were lower in hens supplemented with the leaf of Hydrastis canadensis. The abundances of the phyla Fusobacteria and Kiritimatiellaeota were increased (p < 0.05) in laying hens fed with 0.6% Hydrastis canadensis leaves, whereas the abundance of the phylum Firmicutes in cecum digesta decreased in response to treatment with Hydrastis canadensis roots and leaves. The relative abundance of the Fusobacterium genus was higher in the LR group compared with that in the control. On the contrary, we found a different trend in the Synergistes genus. The potential influences of these microbiota on the performance of laying hens were discussed. The results demonstrate that Hydrastis canadensis can improve the egg albumen height and modulate the cecum digesta microbiota composition of laying hens.


1980 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
A.R. El Boushy ◽  
L.G.M. van Gils ◽  
M.C. Papadopoulos

Twenty groups of 36 laying hens in individual cages were fed on one of 5 diets in which the energy:protein ratio was constant. Diets 1 to 5 had crude protein 12.0, 12.9, 14.0, 15.0 and 16.0% and metabolizable energy 8.71, 9.57, 10.27, 11.10 and 11.70 MJ/kg. From 24 to 64 weeks old, egg production of hens given diets 1 to 5 was 71.46, 71.31, 72.51, 71.13 and 69.99%, respectively. Corresponding values of mean egg weight, weekly feed intake and efficiency of feed conversion were 60.51, 60.47, 61.11, 61.02, 61.07 g; 157.16, 147.56, 142.03, 130.37, 126.72 g; 3.674, 3.460, 3.262, 3.031, 3.014 kg feed/kg egg, respectively. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)


2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-417
Author(s):  
Huan Shi ◽  
Wan Lin Zhang ◽  
In Ho Kim

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of Bacillus subtilis RX7 and B2A supplementation on egg production, egg quality, blood profile, and excreta Salmonella population in laying hens. A total of 192 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (40-wk-old) were randomly assigned into four dietary treatments, each of which was replicated eight times with six hens per replicate in a 5 wk trial. The dietary treatments were NC, which is a basal diet without antibiotics or Bacillus subtilis; PC, which is an NC + 0.5 g kg−1 antibiotic (virginiamycin) diet; BSR, which is an NC + 0.5 g kg−1 Bacillus subtilis RX7 (1.0 × 109 colony forming units g−1); and BSB, which is an NC + 0.5 g kg−1 Bacillus subtilis B2A (1.0 × 109 colony forming units g−1). The results showed that hens receiving BSB diets had increased (P < 0.05) eggshell thickness over hens fed the NC, PC, and BSR diets (week 3). The excreta Salmonella counts in the PC, BSR, and BSB groups were lower than the NC group (P < 0.05). These results indicate that dietary inclusion of Bacillus subtilis RX7 and B2A strains effectively decreased excreta Salmonella counts without any detrimental effects on the performance of laying hens.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 1553 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Diarra ◽  
I. Wamekeni ◽  
A. Vunagilee ◽  
H. Lavaka ◽  
T. Finau

The effects of peeling and limestone flour level on the utilisation of Alocasia macrorrhiza corm meal (ACM) by laying hens were investigated. Maize-based diets with two concentrations of limestone flour (40 and 60 g/kg) and diets containing 200 g peeled and unpeeled ACM meal/kg with the same levels of limestone flour were fed to five replicate pens containing 10 20-week-old Shaver brown pullets (1635 ± 148 g), each for 105 days. Results showed no interaction or main effects of ACM or limestone concentration on feed intake, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion efficiency, egg shape index, surface area and Haugh unit (P &gt; 0.05). Feeding whole ACM with 40 g limestone/kg diet reduced hen-day production and shell thickness (P &lt; 0.05) but this was overcome by increasing limestone concentration to 60 g/kg diet. Peeled ACM with both concentrations of limestone flour maintained laying performance and egg quality. We concluded that feeding 200 g whole ACM depresses egg production and shell quality in laying hens, but increasing dietary limestone concentration overcomes this adverse effect. The concentration of limestone flour in the diet has no effect on laying performance. Higher inclusion levels of ACM, calcium source and level that will maintain laying performance and reduce feed cost need to be investigated.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen ◽  
Gu ◽  
Tao ◽  
Cheng ◽  
Wang ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ginger extract (GE) as a dietary supplement for laying hens. A total of 40-week-old 288 Hyline Brown laying hens were randomly divided into two groups with six replicates, and fed a basal diet with or without 100 g/t GE for eight weeks. Dietary GE supplementation increased egg weight, albumin height, and Haugh unit of eggs, and decreased yolk cholesterol content and activities of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase in serum at eight weeks. Moreover, GE resulted in higher total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content in yolk at four and eight weeks and in serum. It was concluded that GE was effective in increasing egg weight and improving the egg quality and antioxidant status of laying hens.


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