scholarly journals High Temperature With Low Humidity or Vice Versa Does Not Affect Performance and Physiology of Laying Hens

Author(s):  
Da-Hye Kim ◽  
Yoo-Kyung Lee ◽  
Sang-Ho Kim ◽  
Kyung-Woo Lee

The present study investigated the effect of different ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH) but equal temperature-humidity index (THI) on laying performance, egg quality, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio), corticosterone (CORT) concentration in blood, yolk and albumen, and plasma biochemical parameters in laying hens. One hundred and twenty commercial hens (Hy-Line Brown) aged 60 weeks were allocated into 2 environmental chambers. Laying hens were subjected to either one of two thermal treatments, i.e., 26ºC and 70% RH (LH75) and 30ºC and 30% RH (HL75) for 28 days. Both thermal treatments had equal THI being 75. Neither LH75 nor HL75 affected (P > 0.05) laying performance including egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. Plasma biochemical parameters such as total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus was not altered (P > 0.05) by thermal treatments. As to the stress indicators, both environment regimes failed (P > 0.05) to affect blood H/L ratio and CORT levels in plasma, yolk and albumen although albumen CORT levels were elevated (P < 0.05) in LH75 vs. HL75 at days 3, 7, and 28. In conclusion, our study suggests that laying hens performed and responded equally when they were exposed to equal THI environment conditioned from either 26ºC and 70% RH or 30ºC and 30% RH. The results of this study will be served as a scientific basis for management decisions and handling under thermally challenging conditions.

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Da-Hye Kim ◽  
Yoo-Kyung Lee ◽  
Sang-Ho Kim ◽  
Kyung-Woo Lee

We investigated the effect of different ambient temperatures and relative humidity (RH) with the same temperature-humidity indices (THI) on laying performance, egg quality, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio), corticosterone (CORT) concentration in blood, yolk, and albumen, and plasma biochemical parameters of laying hens. Commercial hens (Hy-Line Brown; n = 120), aged 60 weeks, were allocated to two environmental chambers. Laying hens were subjected to either one of two thermal treatments—26 °C and 70% RH (TLHH75) or 30 °C and 30% RH (THHL75) for 28 days—with the same THI of 75. Neither TLHH75 nor THHL75 affected laying performance, including egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (p > 0.05). Plasma biochemical parameters such as total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus were not altered by the environmental treatments (p > 0.05). As for stress indicators, both environmental regimes failed to affect blood H/L ratio and CORT levels in plasma, yolk, and albumen (p > 0.05), although albumen CORT levels were elevated (p < 0.05) in TLHH75 group at day 7. Hence, our study suggests that laying hens performed and responded similarly when exposed to either TLHH75 or THHL75 characterized by the same THI. These results can serve as a scientific basis for management decisions and handling laying hens under thermally challenging conditions.


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.


1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud H. Rabie ◽  
MiháLy SziláGyi ◽  
Tibor Gippert

The effects of L-carnitine supplementation (50–500 mg/kg diet) of a practical layer diet, based on maize, soyabean and wheat, on the performance of laying hens and some indices of egg quality were studied for 8 weeks, using 65-week-old hens kept in cages. Albumen quality (albumen height and Haugh (1937) unit score) was improved, while yolk index and yolk colour score were not affected by dietary L-carnitine. The percentage of egg-white increased and that of egg yolk decreased in response to dietary supplementation of L-carnitine. Dietary L-carnitine did not influence laying performance (egg production rate, mean egg weight, daily feed intake, daily egg mass and feed conversion) or external egg quality measured by egg weight, egg-shape index or by eggshell quality, either measured directly as shell breaking strength or indirectly as shell weight, shell thickness or shell weight per unit surface area. Based on the results of the present study, L-carnitine had a beneficial effect on albumen quality and could modify the components of the edible part of the egg, during the late laying period.


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (13) ◽  
pp. 1620
Author(s):  
H. Reshadi ◽  
M. Torki ◽  
H. Mohammadi

Context Organic and herbal additives in feed may lead to more healthy animal products. For this study, we hypothesised that an organic form of selenium and/or a herbal additive (oregano, Origanum vulgare L.) may improve performance of laying hens. Aims The study was designed to determine the effects of selenium source (SS, sodium selenite; or selenium yeast, SY), oregano essential oil (OEO) and a combination of Se and OEO on performance, egg quality and blood parameters of laying hens. Methods In total, 216 Lohmann LSL-Lite laying hens, 66 weeks of age, were assigned to feed on one of six diets: control group, receiving basal diet (BD); BD + 0.3 mg SS/kg; BD + 0.3 mg SY/kg; BD + 250 mg OEO/kg; BD + 250 mg OEO + 0.3 mg SS/kg; BD + 250 mg OEO + 0.3 mg SY/kg. For each treatment, there were six replicates of six hens each for 12 weeks. Key results Feed conversion ratio was higher (P &lt; 0.05) with the OEO diet than in the control. The SY diet decreased egg production and the OEO diet decreased egg mass (P &lt; 0.05), although this effect was reversed with the SY + OEO diet. This would illustrate a synergistic effect of OEO with SY. Highest and lowest yolk colour values were found with the SY and SS diets, respectively (P &lt; 0.05). Serum uric acid was lower with diets containing Se than the control diet (P &lt; 0.05). Glutathione peroxidase activity was highest with SY and SY + OEO diets and lowest with the OEO diet (P &lt; 0.05). Birds fed the SS + OEO diet showed the highest total antioxidant capacity and those fed SY showed the lowest total antioxidant capacity (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusions Based on the results of the current study, it can be concluded that SY diet have increasing effect on egg weight in laying hens. In addition, novel synergistic effects between OEO and SY diets on improving egg production, egg mass and feed conversion ratio have been found. In terms of oxidative status, the detected synergistic effects between OEO and SS diets on total antioxidant capacity and between OEO and SY diets on glutathione peroxidase (GPx) have not been reported before, that appreciate more clarifying investigations in future. Although, dietary supplemental SY individually and also with OEO increased GPx, adding SS to diet together with OEO showed more improving effect on GPx compared to the separate usage. Implications Dietary supplemental SY can improve egg weight in laying hens. In addition, adding SY to diet of laying hens individually and with OEO have beneficial effects on oxidative status of bird in terms of GPs activity, which in turn can ameliorate the unfavourable impressions of probable environmentally oxidative stress on productive performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 48-53
Author(s):  
H Khatun ◽  
MN Islam ◽  
MA Rashid ◽  
MY Ali ◽  
MSK Sarker

This study was conducted to know the production performance of laying hen by using different graded level of linseed. At 56 weeks of age, a total of 160 laying hens were raised up to 63 weeks of age. All hens were fed a basal corn soyabean meal diet. The experiment was allowed 4 dietary treatments (T0, no addition of whole linseed in the basal diet; T1,  addition of 5% whole linseed; T2, addition of 10% whole linseed and T3, addition of 15% whole linseed) with 5 replications and per replication contains eight hens. Egg production, feed intake, egg weight of each treatment was recorded. Egg samples were collected and analyzed for egg quality. The results showed that egg production and egg mass (kg) exhibited for all dietary treatment groups were unaffected (P>0.05) by feeding linseed to the laying hens. Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was found significant difference within the four dietary group (P<0.05). Egg quality aspects such as yolk weight, egg weight, HU and yolk index were not differed significantly (P>0.05) among treatments.  A trend for lower yolk weight was observed in birds fed 10% linseed, where as the highest yolk weight percentage was recorded in control diet. There was no statistical difference among the different diets for yolk index. The results of the present trial suggested that feeding linseed to the laying hens has no detrimental effects on egg production and egg quality. Bangladesh J. of Livestock Res. 20(1-2): 48-53, Jan-Dec 2013


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 345-345
Author(s):  
Alfredo Herrera ◽  
Mario Ortiz ◽  
Hector Torrealba ◽  
Christian H Ponce

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of corn protein concentrate (CPC) levels in the diets on laying performance, and egg quality of laying hens. A total of 180 64-wk-old laying hens (2.05 kg ± 0.19 kg of live weight) were randomly assigned to 36 cages (5 birds/cage) with separate feeders, including 6 dietary treatments. Birds were fed 1 of 6 experimental diets containing CPC at different levels (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 or 2.5%) for 10 weeks. Diets were isocaloric (2850 Mcal/kg) and isonitrogenous (CP, 15.0%), having similar digestible amino acid profile. Hens were weighed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment to determine BW change. Egg production, feed consumption and egg weight were recorded daily, while egg quality variables were evaluated every 14 days. Data were analyzed using the general linear model procedure of SAS in a complete randomized design. The cage was considered the experimental unit. Linear and quadratic effects of treatment were used for mean separation and significance was declared at P ≤ 0.05. Hens fed CPC maintained BW and gain at an increased rate (Quadraic: P &lt; 0.01). Feed intake increased as CPC increased in the diet (Lineal and quadratic: P &lt; 0.01). Egg production, mass and weight were increased as CPC increased in the diet (Quadraic: P &lt; 0.01). Feed conversion rate was improved as CPC increased in the diet (Lineal and Quadraic: P &lt; 0.02). Shell thickness and breaking strength tended to linearly increased as CPC increased in the diet (P &lt; 0.06). Albumen height and Haugh unit were not altered by dietary treatment (P &gt; 0.25). Yolk color was increased as CPC increased in the diet (P &lt; 0.01). Results from this experiment suggest addition of up to 2.5% CPC in the diet enhances egg production and some parameters of egg quality.


2012 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 743-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.O Figueiredo ◽  
A.G Bertechini ◽  
E.J Fassani ◽  
P.B. Rodrigues ◽  
J.Á.G Brito ◽  
...  

The present study was developed using 864 Hy-Line W36 laying hens (42 to 58 weeks of age) with a randomized experimental design in a 4x3 factorial arrangement, with five replicates and 12 birds per experimental unit and 4 evaluation periods of 28 days each. The digestible lysine levels studied were 0.675%, 0.743%, 0.811% and 0.879%, and the digestible threonine levels were 0.542%, 0.596% and 0.650%. The performance and egg quality was evaluated. There were no significant effects on the egg production, specific gravity, albumen and yolk percentage and total solids in albumen and yolk for birds submitted to the different dietary digestible lysine and threonine levels. There was significant interaction between these amino acids on the egg shell percentage and Haugh unit in fresh eggs. There was a decreasing linear effect on the feed intake with increase of digestible lysine level. Egg weight, egg mass and feed conversion demonstrated a quadratic effect with the increase of the digestible lysine level with the best results in the diets with 0.754, 0.772 and 0.795% of digestible lysine, respectively.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.O. Kujero ◽  
C.P Njoku ◽  
Oyegunle Emmanuel Oke ◽  
O.A. Adeyemi ◽  
O.M. Sogunle ◽  
...  

Abstract The increasing demand for healthy and low fat poultry products by consumers has necessitated the use of natural growth promoters to enhance hens’ laying performance. This study investigated the reproductive response and egg quality traits of pullet chickens fed dietary turmeric (Curcuma longa) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) powder. Five hundred and four pullets were assigned basal diet (G 0 T 0 ) or basal diet supplemented with 1.5 (G1.5) and 3% (G3) ginger or 1.5(T1.5) and 3% (T3) turmeric to investigate the reproductive responses and egg quality traits of pullet chickens during a 60 week trial period. Data were collected on egg and laid out in a Completely Randomized Design in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement. Hen-day and hen-housed egg production, egg mass, feed conversion ratio and age at first lay were significantly (p<0.05) affected by phytobiotic type. The best (p<0.05) hen-day, hen-housed, egg mass, FCR, earliest age at first lay and least weight at first lay were obtained in birds placed on 1.5% ginger ration. Percentage mortality was not significant except at the different inclusion levels and was least among birds fed 1.5% phytobiotic inclusion levels. The highest (p<0.05) value for egg length, egg width, egg shape index, albumen weight and yolk colour were obtained in birds fed 3% turmeric diets. Internal egg qualities were most enhanced by turmeric inclusion while dietary ginger improved the external qualities. The study concluded that dietary ginger and turmeric enhanced reproductive performance and egg quality of egg-type chickens fed over their commercial production lifespan without impairing their overall well-being.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 46908
Author(s):  
Nayara Emanuelle Matos e Silva ◽  
Heder José D'Ávila Lima ◽  
Jean Kaique Valentim ◽  
Fernandes Jesuino Mukissaí Tossué ◽  
Tatiana Marques Bittencourt ◽  
...  

The aim of this research was evaluate the productive performance, egg quality and the endoparasites presence on Carijo laying hens in Cage Free system, fed with two experimental diets, one of them supplemented with fresh banana leaf in natura. Were used 196 laying hens with twenty-four weeks of age, distributed in a completely randomized design with 14 boxes, two experimental diets and seven replicates, by treatment with fourteen birds per experimental unit. The variables analyzed were: feed intake; egg production; egg mass: feed conversion per egg mass; feed conversion per dozen eggs; egg weight; albumen weight; yolk weight; shell weight; yolk percentage; albumen percentage shell percentage; yolk pigmentation and the presence of endoparasites. No influence (p > 0.05) were found, for performance and egg production, in Carijo laying hens fed supplemented with banana leaf in natura. For the treatment with inclusion of banana leaf, yolk pigmentation were superior (p < 0.05) when compared to control diet, producing eggs with more yolks orange color. In respect to endoparasite analysis, there was significant effect (p < 0.05) in the percentage of infections present in excretas. Among the treatments evaluated, the one with banana leaf supplementation reduced in 26.54% the endoparasites presence. The inclusion of banana leaf in the diet of Carijo laying hens does not affect performance and eggs quality and decreases the amount of endoparasites of the genus Strogyloides spp.


Author(s):  
Iolanda Silveira Freitas ◽  
Michele de Oliveira Mendonça ◽  
Izabela Silveira Freitas ◽  
Onofre Barroca de Almeida Neto ◽  
David Garcia Ferreira ◽  
...  

SUMMARY The current study aims to evaluate the zootechnical performance, quality of eggs, and the immune system of the laying hen's upon supplementing their feed with the flour of the mushroom Agaricus blazei. A total of 210 Hisex Brown® hens, 67 weeks old, were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments (control [0%], 0.04%, 0.08%, 0.12% and 0.16% of mushroom meal) with seven replicates and six birds per experimental unit. Were evaluated the zootechnical performance (feed intake, egg production [per day and housed], marketable egg production, egg weight and egg mass, feed conversion per dozen and egg mass, and viability);egg quality (specific weight, Haugh units, weight and percentage of components, shell thickness and yellow intensity of the egg yolks); and the hemogram (erythrogram and leukogram). Mainly, different levels of mushroom meal, were includedin laying hens feeds significantly (p<0.05)egg mass and feed intake. However, the leukogram and the erythrogram remained within the reference values, indicating that the birds were healthy. The addition of different levels of Agaricus blazei flour in the laying hens feed did not promote changes in the egg quality, in the immune system, and in the zootechnical performance, except for the feed intake which reduced with the inclusion of mushroom flour and eggs mass in which the 0.07% level promoted the maximization of this parameter.


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