The study investigated the effects of grape seed extract (GSE) supplementation on laying hens aged 30–35 weeks. Hens were assigned to four groups: a control group with only basal diet and three ...experimental groups with basal diet supplemented with 250 (GSE 250), 500 (GSE 500) and 750 (GSE 750) mg/kg GSE. GSE-supplemented groups showed significantly lower feed intake in week 1 and 3 in GSE 750. No significant differences were observed in feed efficiency, egg weight, shell thickness, yolk weight, albumin weight, or Haugh Unit, suggesting GSE did not significantly impact these parameters. Egg production significantly increased in groups supplemented with 500 and 750 mg/kg GSE compared to the control group. Additionally, GSE-supplemented birds exhibited significantly lower levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, indicating potential antioxidant effects. The study further revealed a significant increase in Lactobacillus at GSE500 and GSE 750 levels and a significant reduction in E. coli levels with GSE 750 supplementation, suggesting potential benefits on gut microbiota. In conclusion, GSE positively influenced egg production, promoted Lactobacillus growth, and reduced lipid peroxidation and E. coli populations. However, reproductive efficiency in golden laying hens was not significantly affected. These findings contribute valuable insights into the potential benefits of GSE in poultry nutrition.
The goal of this study was the knowledge of avistim’s influence administered in laying hens diet on the production performances, egg quality and the carotene content of eggs. The researches have been ...made on a number of 162 laying hens, hybrid Isa Brown, assigned in 3 batches of 54 hens/batch. In the feed of batch 2 (E) was added avistim premix 1 % and in the feed of batch 3 (E) was added avistim premix 2 %. The experimental period was 5 weeks, representing the second laying stage (age 56-61 weeks) following: laying intensity, the average egg weight, the fodder consumption per egg. To establish egg’s quality, at the end of trial had been determined: egg structure, egg-shell quality, intensity of yolk’s color and the carothenes content (La Roche method). The use of avistim determined the improvement of laying intensity with 3.86% at batch 3E, the improvement of egg weight with 6.08% at batch 2E and 1.23% at batch 3E, the reduction of fodder consumption per egg with 3.72% at batch 3E. Also we recorded the improvement of the weight and thickness of the egg-shell at the experimental batches, the improvement of yolk’s color and the improvement of carotene content at batches 2E and 3E. We recommend the use of avistim premix in laying hens diets for the improvement of the production performances and the yolk pigmentation, which can influence the commercial value of eggs.
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Ammonia (NH3) is an irritant and harmful gas. Its accumulation in the poultry house poses detrimental effects on the respiratory mucosal system of birds. In this process, the relative humidity of the ...poultry house also plays an important role in potentiating the adverse effects of NH3 on the respiratory status of birds, causing severe physiological consequences. In this study, the combined effects of NH3 and humidity on the respiratory mucosal barrier of laying hens was studied. The gene expression of tight junction proteins, mucin, inflammatory cytokines secreted by Th1/Th2 cells, and proteins related to the Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway were detected by qRT-PCR. In addition, the contents of mucin and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined. The results showed that treatment with NH3 alone or NH3 and humidity led to morphological changes in the respiratory tract, decreased the gene expressions of tight junction protein, and increased the expression of mucin. Also, the expression of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-10 were increased, whereas, the expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-2 was decreased in laying hens treated with NH3 and humidity. Furthermore, the activation of inhibitor kappa B kinase β (I-KK-β) and the degradation of inhibitor of NF-κB α (I-κB-α) contributed to the activation of the NF-κB pathway, such that the downstream genes, cycooxygenase 2 (COX2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were significantly increased. In conclusion, NH3 damaged the mucosal barrier and induced an imbalance in the mucosal immunity, leading to respiratory tract inflammation. Thus, the relative humidity of the environment aggravates the adverse effects of NH3 in poultry.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The effects of the diet for laying hens supplemented with probiotic product with an organic form of selenium on body weight, egg production, feeed consumption and feed conversion were studied in this ...experiment. Isa Brown hens (n=90) were randomly divided at the age of 17 weeks into three groups (30 birds per group). Hens in all groups consumed the complete feed mixture ad libitum. In the control group water for drinking contained no additions. In the first experimental group probiotic product was added to the water, in the second experimental group the same probiotic prreparation enriched with O.8 to 1 mg of organic selenium per 1 g of the product was added to the water. The probiotic preparations were administered at the dose of 15 mg per 6 l of water daily, in both experimental groups. Experiment lasted 48 weeks. Hen´s body weight (g±SD) at the end of breeding period was within the groups as follows (in order Control–1st and 2nd experimental group): 1882.25±223.68, 1878.73±209.87 and 1860.15±190.90, P>0.05. Between the groups were recorded relatively balanced values in the consumption of food per feeding day, even in the experimental groups werelower feed consumption per eggs, as well as feed conversion recorded, no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) was achieved. Feed conversion was in the order of groups of 2.51, 2.33 and 2.24 kg. During the whole period, the number of eggs per hen was as follows: 274.36; 292.04 and 299.0 pieces. Average number of eggs per hen per month in the order of groups was 22.86±6.76; 24.33±5.93 and 24.91±6.21 pc (mean±SD). Higher egg production, but no statistically significant (P>0.05) was achieved in both experimental groups. The average laying intensity achieved values of 80.42, 81.15 and 83.30%, values of egg mass production per hen were 16.37, 18.14 and 17.61 kg. The results showed that addition of probiotic preparation and probiotic preparation enriched with organic selenium increased egg production and reduced consumption of feed per eggs, but statistically insignificantly. The other performance indicators showed no major influence of the addition compared with the results of the control group.
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Although fibre is regarded by many nutritionists as a mere diluent of poultry diets, new experimental evidences suggest that the dietary fibre positively influences the digestive tract integrity. A ...5-week feeding trial was conducted on 200 Tetra layers (28 weeks) assigned to 5 groups, housed in an experimental hall under controlled environmental conditions (temperature: 23.81±1.54°C; humidity: 64.76±11.93%), and 16h/24h light regimen. The control group (C) received a conventional diet (2780 kcal/kg metabolizable energy; 17.5% crude protein; 4.39% crude fibre). Compared to C formulation, E1 formulation included 23% sunflower meal, which increased the dietary fibre (8%). The other 3 experimental diet formulations differed from E1 formulation by the presence of phytoadditives or cellulolytic enzymes: E2 (0.015% enzyme); E3 (0.015% phytoadditive) and E4 (0.015% enzyme+0.015% phytoadditive). At the end of the experiment 30 hens were sacrificed (6 hens/group) to obtain jejunum samples for histological parameters. The results of the intestinal measurements revealed significantly (P≤0.05) lower values for experimental groups compared to C group. The lowest values registered for E1 group: villus height (583±99.74µm) and crypt depth (126±36.19µm). Mucosa thickness increased significantly (P≤0.05) in E3 group (275±70 µm) compared to C group (173±66.08 µm).
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16.
Battery Change Improves the Welfare of Laying Hens Silvana Popescu; Cristina Iuliana El Mahdy; Eva Andrea Diugan
Lucrări științifice zootehnie şi biotehnologii,
09/2023, Volume:
45, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Open access
The aim of this study was to assess the welfare of the laying hens in two different housing systems (conventional batteries and furnished colony cages), evaluating the housing conditions and ...management practices and some animal-linked parameters (feather condition, diseases, production and mortality). Between 2009 and 2011 a large laying hen farm was assessed, before and after the modification of the housing system from conventional batteries to furnished colony cages. The housing conditions were significantly better after the housing system was changed. The mean score of the feather condition was slightly higher in the furnished cages, comparing with the conventional batteries, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The frequency of the lice infestation and the mortality of the birds were higher in the conventional housing than in the improved one. The egg production was not influenced by the housing system. Even if factors altering the laying hens’ welfare were identified in both housing systems, yet, based on the obtained results we can state that the welfare of the laying hens kept in furnished colony cages is better than that of the birds housed in conventional battery cages.
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Liposoluble vitamins play an important role in poultry metabolism. Vitamin A assures normal growth and development, reproduction performances, and immune function. Vitamin D is requested for proper ...calcium absorption, prevents oxidative stress, and helps the immune system. Also, vitamin E, which cannot be synthesized by poultry, is crucial for growth and reproduction, improves the immunity system, efficient against oxidative stability. Vitamin K is a key factor for the blood clotting process, has anti-inflammatory effects, and improves bone quality and feed efficiency. Vitamin requirements in laying hens' diets increased compared to the minimum levels published 28 years ago in National Research Council, therefore became vital to update it. Due to the poultry and feed industry's increasing challenges and demands the present requirements must sustain the development and productive potential of modern poultry strains. Therefore it is mandatory that experimental data with different inclusion levels of liposoluble vitamins and with positive effects on growth, production, and health parameters be taken into consideration. Certainly, updated information about liposoluble vitamin variability and efficiency transfer rate from diet to egg would help tremendously the farmers interested in foods biofortification by dietary vitamin supplementation. Overall, liposoluble vitamins are considered essential micronutrients very important to assure balanced poultry nutrition that provides an optimized animal status health.
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Introduction:1Selenium is an essential mineral for many metabolic functions of the body, including the activation of enzymes and the optimal biochemical and physiological function of birds ...(Antongiovanni et al., 2007). Selenium protects cell membranes from oxidative damage and can therefore improve nutrient efficiency (Arner et al., 2012). The small intestine is the most important part in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, while the large intestine and intestinal tract are very important areas for the accumulation of microbes (Chitra et al., 2013). Gastrointestinal health is one of the most important and effective factors in bird function. Gastrointestinal microbial population affects the nutrition and health of various animal species, including poultry. These microorganisms need trace elements such as selenium to perform their normal metabolic functions. Selenium may affect bacterial cells by disrupting the respiratory chain (Pappas et al., 2005). In addition to improving the quality and composition of intestinal microflora, selenium can have a positive effect on the morphology of the intestine as an antioxidant (Haghighi-khoshkhoo et al., 2010). Despite these benefits, the effect of selenium on intestinal microbial population is largely unknown, so the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of organic and inorganic selenium in the diet on microbial population, intestinal morphology and intestinal acidity in laying hens. Materials and Methods:The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 300 laying hens of high-line strains from 23 to 35 weeks of age with 5 treatments, 6 replications and 10 hens per replication. Experimental treatments include 1- Base diet (without selenium), 2- Base diet + 0.5 mg/kg sodium-selenite, 3- Base diet + mg/kg 1 selenite-sodium, 4- Base diet + mg/kg 0.5 selenium-methionine, 5-base diet + 1 mg/kg selenium-methionine. At the end of the experiment, two birds were randomly selected from each replicate; To evaluate the microbial population, a sample of the contents of the cecum on the culture medium was used (1). Tissue samples were prepared and then measured using a microscope, villi length, villi width, crypt depth, and number of goblet cells (9). To measure acidity, samples were taken from the contents of the cecum, and acidity was measured by a pH meter. Results and Discussion: The results indicate that consuming 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine increased the villi area compared to the control treatment. The experimental treatments did not affect villi length, villi width, crypt depth, number of goblet cells, and the ratio of villus length to crypt depth. The consumption of 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine significantly decreased the population of Salmonella and increased the population of Lactobacillus in the cecal compared to other experimental treatments. The consumption of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine caused a significant decrease in the population of aerobic bacteria compared to the control treatment. The acidity of cecal contents in the treatment containing 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine was significantly reduced compared to the control treatment. Several studies (Langhout et al., 1999, Lukaszewicz et al., 2011, Pappas et al., 2005) have reported that using organic sources of selenium reduces the coliform population. In mice, dogs, and laying hens, selenium intake has been shown to increase the number of Lactobacillus and decrease Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in the cecum (Langhout et al., 1999, Lukaszewicz et al., 2011, Pappas et al., 2005). Increasing the population of beneficial bacteria due to the provision of sufficient selenium for their synthesis is also an antioxidant property of selenium in preserving the life of these bacteria. It appears that beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, can competitively eliminate harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli in the gut (Lukaszewicz et al., 2011). An increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria in the intestine causes the villi to shorten and the lining to shrink (Attia et al., 2010).Numerous studies demonstrate that the consumption of diets containing selenium compounds has destructive effects on harmful intestinal bacteria (Chantiratikul et al., 2008, Hashemi et al., 2012, Heindl et al., 2010, Horn et al., 2009, Langhout et al., 1999). Adding organic selenium to the diet of broilers increases the weight of the intestines due to the growth of villi and intestinal lamina propria (Haghighi-khoshkhoo et al., 2010, Heindl et al., 2010). The lack of selenium consumption on morphology can be attributed to the levels of selenium used, as well as the bird's lack of stress. Selenium can exert its effect more effectively under stress conditions. Most harmful bacteria grow in an environment with acidity close to 7 or slightly higher, while beneficial bacteria multiply in an acidic environment and compete with pathogenic bacteria (Cooke et al. 1973). An increase in acidity leads to a decrease in Escherichia coli and Salmonella in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the consumption of organic sources of selenium reduces the population of pathogenic microorganisms (aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella) and increases the population of Lactobacillus competitively, followed by an increase in gastrointestinal acidity. This improvement may lead to an increase in digestion, absorption, and performance (Kasaikina et al., 2011). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it can be said that consuming organic sources of selenium (levels of one and 0.5 mg of selenium-methionine per kg of feed) significantly reduces the population of harmful aerobic bacteria, bacteria. Salmonella and Escherichia coli and cause a competitive increase in the beneficial population of Lactobacillus; The consequence of this operation is to increase the acidity of the cecum and reduce the damage and microbial destruction to the intestinal tissue, and therefore with positive changes in the morphology of the small intestine will lead to improved bird function.
Flaxseed cake contains high levels of phenolic compounds, which have numerous biological activities, as well as a considerable amount of omega-3 fatty acids, such as α-linolenic acid, which remains ...after oil extraction. In this study, we examined the effects of flaxseed cake meal (FSCM) on the antioxidative status, lipid metabolism, egg fatty acid profile, and egg health index of white-egg laying hens. A total of 63 Hisex White laying hens were divided into three experimental treatment groups and fed diets containing 0, 5, or 10% FSCM from 48 to 58 weeks of age. Feeding with 5 and 10% FSCM did not significantly (p>0.05) influence total lipid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations, or the high-/low-density lipoprotein ratio in the serum and egg yolk; however, 10% FSCM significantly (P<0.05) increased serum high-density lipoprotein. Dietary FSCM also did not affect (P>0.05) antioxidant markers in the eggs and blood plasma. Notably, dietary inclusion of FSCM significantly increased (P<0.05) total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), α-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid levels in egg yolk, whereas the n-6:n-3 PUFAs ratio was markedly (P<0.05) decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, including 5–10% FSCM improved (P<0.05) egg health indices, with 10% being the most beneficial. Together, these findings indicated that the inclusion of up to 10% FSCM in laying hen diets improved egg yolk lipid and fatty acid profiles, as well as egg quality and nutritional and metabolic indices.
