scholarly journals Egg quality and coccidiosis infestation in three production systems for laying hens

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e53125
Author(s):  
Reza Vakili ◽  
Ahmad Salahshour ◽  
Ali Zanganeh

A total of 240 white Shaver laying hens from 22 to 34 weeks of age were assigned to 3 treatments and 5 replications. The treatments included: i) Conventional (hens were kept in experimental building without access to outdoor area and fed with the conventional diet), ii) Semi-organic (hens were kept in experimental building with access to outdoor area and fed with the organic diet plus amino acids and vitamin-minerals supplement), and iii) Organic (hens were kept in experimental building with access to outdoor and fed with the organic diet). The results showed statistically significant differences in the feed intake, egg production, egg mass, egg weight, and change body weight(g) means among the treatments (p < 0.05). The hens kept in the organic treatment had fecal highest contain of oocytes coccidia (p < 0.05). The yolk color index and shell strength in the organic treatment significantly increased in comparison with that of other treatments (p < 0.05). The highest HDL was in the semi-organic and organic treatments (p < 0.05). The lowest egg yolk cholesterol concentration was found in hens kept in the semi-organic and organic treatments (p < 0.05). It is concluded that organic production system is useful for improving egg quality.

Author(s):  
Osman Olgun ◽  
Alp Önder Yıldız

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different levels of alfalfa meal on performance, egg quality, egg yolk cholesterol and hatchability parameters of quail breeders. In this trial a total of 90 Japanese quail breeders (30 males, 60 females), 10 weeks old was distributed 5 experimental groups randomly. Each experimental group consisted of 6 replicates of 3 quails (1 males, 2 females) in each. During the 12 weeks experiment period, birds were fed with 5 dietary groups based on corn and soybean meal and containing 0 (control), 10, 20, 40 and 80 g/kg alfalfa meal. Feed and water were offered ad-libitum throughout the experiment. The different dietary levels of alfalfa meal had no significant effect on body weight change, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, egg shell breaking strength, egg yolk triglyceride, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs or hatchability of eggs set. The feed intake was decreased with 10 or 20 g/kg alfalfa meal levels in the diet. The eggshell weight was best in quails fed 20 g/kg alfalfa meal, and the egg yolk cholesterol was the lowest in quails fed 40 g/kg alfalfa meal. According to the results of this study the addition of 40 g/kg alfalfa meal in laying quail diets decreased the egg yolk cholesterol levels without adverse effect on performance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Lapa Silva ◽  
Romênia Regina Pires Lage ◽  
Daniel Emygdio de Faria Filho ◽  
Izabela Lorena Azevedo ◽  
Adélio Nunes Dias ◽  
...  

This study evaluated the effect of pequi peel meal in the diet for laying hens on performance and egg quality. Hy-Line® Brown hens (n=160) aged 55 weeks with 1642±63g body weight were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications of eight birds each. The treatments consisted of isometric substitution of corn by pequi peel meal at 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10%. The performance and internal and external egg quality were evaluated. Egg production, egg mass and feed conversion worsened linearly with increasing replacement of corn with pequi peel meal, while the yolk color increased linearly. The other variables related to performance and internal and external egg quality were not significantly affected by the treatments. It can be concluded that the use of pequi peel meal replacing corn in laying hen diet does not change the internal and external egg quality, improves the pigmentation of egg yolk, and impairs performance of laying hens. 


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.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 335
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Tufarelli ◽  
Payam Baghban-Kanani ◽  
Saba Azimi-Youvalari ◽  
Babak Hosseintabar-Ghasemabad ◽  
Marina Slozhenkina ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of dietary horsetail (Equisetum arvense) and spirulina (Spirulina platensis) supplementation on performance, egg quality, serum biochemical and antioxidant status of laying hens. A total of 648, 63-week-old Hy-Line W-36 layers were divided into nine groups with eight replicates per group (nine birds per replicate). A feeding trial was conducted under completely randomized design with factorial arrangement 3 × 3 consisting of three different dietary levels of horsetail supplementations (0, 0.25, and 0.50%, respectively) in combination with three levels of spirulina (0, 1, and 2%, respectively). Results showed that feed intake, egg production, egg weight and mass, and feed conversion ratio were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments. Eggshell thickness, strength, and yolk color were significantly improved in diets supplemented with 0.5% horsetail and 2% spirulina and their interactions. Egg yolk cholesterol was not significantly different among groups; however, a significant reduction was found when fed 2% spirulina. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration decreased by supplementing 2% spirulina in diet; also, spirulina increased total superoxide dismutase (TSOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in laying hens. Overall, the findings indicated that the combination of horsetail and spirulina could have potential for improving the egg’s physical parameters, whereas spirulina was more effective in improving blood traits and oxidative status.


2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 345-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sarica ◽  
S. Boga ◽  
U.S. Yamak

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of cage stocking density on egg yield, some egg quality traits and plumage condition in laying hens. Eighteen weeks-old 264 ISA-Brown pullets were divided into four cage density groups. The densities were 2 000, 1 000, 667 and 500 cm<sup>2</sup> per hen (by allocating 1, 2, 3 and 4 hens per cage; floor area 40 × 50 cm) with 48, 30, 24 and 21 replicate cages, totally 123 three-tier battery cages. During the experimental period from 18 to 53 weeks of age, all birds were provided illumination for 16 hours a day. The hens were fed a diet containing 11.7 MJ ME/kg and 180 g CP during the period of 18 to 40 weeks of age and 11.3 MJ ME/kg and 170 g CP during the period of 41 to 54 weeks of age. Feed and water were available for <I>ad libitum</I>. Egg yield, mortality, live weights at 50% egg production age and at the end of experiment, pecking related mortalities, some egg quality traits and plumage condition were recorded weekly. Hen-housed egg production, egg mass, viability, and live weights were significantly decreased by higher densities. Most of the egg quality traits were not affected by cage densities. Pecking related mortalities increased in cage densities of 667 cm<sup>2</sup> and 500 cm<sup>2</sup> per hen compared to the other densities (<I>P</I> < 0.05) while plumage scores were higher in all body parts of hens kept in cages of 2 000 cm<sup>2</sup> and 1 000 cm<sup>2</sup> densities compared to the higher densities. The results showed that brown laying hens should be kept in cages having 1 000–2 000 cm<sup>2</sup> densities in order to improve their welfare and performance.


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.


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.


2010 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 505-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Attia YA ◽  
Abdala AA ◽  
Zewei HS ◽  
F. Bover ◽  
El-Din AA Tag ◽  
...  

One hundred and twenty (100♀ + 20♂) 30-weeks-old dual-purpose breeding hens of Gimmizah strain were housed in individual cages in a semi-open house. Birds were distributed randomly into five treatments of 20♀ + 4♂. The 1st treatment was fed a control (unsupplemented) diet (17.5% CP and 11.4 MJ per kg diet) containing 0.10 mg Se/kg (low level). The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th treatments were fed the control diet supplemented with 0.15 and 0.30 mg Se/kg from inorganic (sodium selenite) and organic (selenomethionine, as Se-yeast Selplex&reg; Alltech, Nicholasville, USA) sources, respectively. The total concentration of Se in experimental diets was 0.25 (medium level) and 0.40 ppm (high level). Feed and water were provided ad libitum throughout the experimental period (30&ndash;50 weeks of age). Different Se levels of the organic and inorganic form and their interaction did not significantly (P &gt; 0.05) affect egg production percentage, and most of egg quality traits. Egg weight and egg mass significantly (P &lt; 0.002) increased and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) significantly (P &lt; 0.04) improved due to Se supplementation compared with hens fed the control diet. Piped embryos and spleen percentage significantly (P &lt; 0.05) decreased due to Se supplementation. In addition, the level of organic and inorganic Se and their interaction significantly (P &lt; 0.0001) decreased the plasma cholesterol concentration. Tibia Ca and P percentages and yolk selenium concentration significantly (P &lt; 0.03; P &lt; 0.0001 and P &lt; 0.0001, respectively) increased due to Se supplementation and the greatest increase was recorded by a group fed diet with the high level (0.40) of organic Se. The duodenal and intestinal mucosa of the ileum was negatively affected by the high level of inorganic Se while chickens fed the organic form showed less toxic effects in hepatic and splenic tissues than those receiving the inorganic form. In conclusion, the organic and inorganic Se supplementation at 0.15 and 0.30 mg/kg diet, which corresponded to a dietary level of 0.25 and 0.40 mg/kg diet, improved the productive and reproductive performance of Gimmizah breeding hens. A decrease in plasma total cholesterol and an improvement in the bone mineralization were observed. The level of 0.25 mg/kg diet of organic Se was adequate to enrich eggs, which may be recommended for practical application and which would improve the consumer health benefit.


2017 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 37677
Author(s):  
Daniel Araujo Netto ◽  
Héder José D'Ávila Lima ◽  
Julia Rodrigues Alves ◽  
Bianca Corrêa de Morais ◽  
Mauricio Silva Rosa ◽  
...  

 The environment is very important for the performance of laying hens; thus, techniques are required to improve production systems, providing better welfare for poultry and consequent increase in the quality of the final product, the egg. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of rearing system, on the floor and in cage, on the performance and egg internal and external quality of laying hens. A total of 320 Hysex Brown laying hens, with 34-43 weeks days of age, was distributed in a completely randomized design, with two treatments, floor and cage, with 10 replicates each. The parameters evaluated were: individual feed intake, egg production per replicate, feed conversion per dozen eggs, egg weight; weight and percentage participation of shell, albumen and yolk, specific gravity, body weight variation and viability of birds. The results show that the birds raised on the floor showed best results as to egg production, besides the best internal and external quality, with greater weight of egg, yolk, albumen, shell and with lower losses of eggs. Because of the negative effects of the cage system, in general, hens presented lower results when compared to results of those raised on the floor. 


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