• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2006

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary organic selenium levels on performance and selenium retention in broiler chickens and laying hens. In experiment 1, the effects of dietary organic selenium levels on the weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, and selenium retention of meat and liver in broiler chickens were investigated. For each growth phase, the basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.60, 1.20, 1.80 and 2.40 ppm Se from selenium yeast(SY). Weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion were not affected by the selenium addition in diets. Breast muscle Se levels were linearly increased (P<0.05) as dietary Se level increased by SY. Selenium concentration of liver tissue was increased (P<0.05) in supplemental SY compared to the control, and was increased (P<0.05) in supplemental 1.20, 1.80 and 2.40 ppm SY compared to the 0.60 ppm SY. In Experiment 2, 12-week-experiment using Hy-Line laying hens (68 wk of age) was conducted to examine the effects of dietary organic selenium on egg Production, egg weight, daily egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion, egg quality, and selenium concentration of eggs. A corn-soybean meal basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.30, 0.60, 0.90 and 1.20 ppm Se from selenium yeast (SY). Egg Production was significantly improved(P<0.05) in supplemental 0.30 and 0.90 ppm SY compared to the control and 0.60 ppm SY during week 1 to 12, but daily egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion showed no difference in supplemental SY and control. Haugh unit, yolk color and eggshell breaking strength showed no difference in supplemental SY and control. Eggshell thickess was significantly (P<0.05) higher in supplemental 0.60 and 1.20 ppm SY compared to the 0.90 ppm SY in week 9. Egg Se levels were linearly increased (P<0.05) as dietary Se level increased by SY.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.573-581
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• 2006

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplemental methionine, lysine, choline, and sulfur on laying performance, metabolic parameters, and egg quality of hens fed diets containing sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) during the peak laying period. Lohman layers (n = 144), 30-wk of age as 6 replicate cages of 4 hens, were allocated randomly to receive basal diets containing either 22% corn (B) or 22% sorghum (BS) and diets BS plus 0.57% methionine, 0.66% lysine, 0.47% choline, or 0.05% sulfur for 98 d. Feed intake (FI) and egg production (EP) were recorded daily, egg weight (EW) was measured bi-weekly, and body weight (BW) was measured monthly. A sample of 12 eggs from each experimental group was collected every month to evaluate egg quality. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected for metabolite concentrations. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA as repeated measures and significant differences between the experimental groups were assessed using Duncan's Multiple Range test. Partial replacement of corn with sorghum in the basal diet did not affect BW, EP, and FCR but increased FI by 5.7% and EW by 2.4%. The effects of additives on laying performance were variable. Except for serum total protein (STP) concentration, other metabolic parameters were not affected by partial replacement of corn with sorghum in the basal diet. Hens fed diet BS had lower SPT concentration than hens fed diet B. Except for methionine supplementation, other supplements ameliorated depression in STP concentration. The additives did not affect other metabolic parameters. Egg quality responses to the experimental diets were also variable. Partial replacement of corn with sorghum in the basal diet did not affect eggshell characteristics (both thickness and stiffness), whereas it had variable effects on inner egg quality parameters (increased yolk index, depressed yolk color, and unaltered albumen index and Haugh unit). In conclusion, laying hen diets could include low-tannin sorghum (0.26%) up to 22% without necessitating extra supplements to overcome compromised performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.206-210
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• 2017

Objective: A study was conducted to test six threonine (Thr) levels (0.39%, 0.44%, 0.49%, 0.54%, 0.59%, and 0.64%) to estimate the optimal dietary Thr requirements for Longyan laying ducks from 17 to 45 wk of age. Methods: Nine hundred Longyan ducks aged 17 wk were assigned randomly to the six dietary treatments, where each treatment comprised six replicate pens with 25 ducks per pen. Results: Increasing the Thr level enhanced egg production, egg weight, egg mass, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (linearly or quadratically; p<0.05). The Haugh unit score, yolk color, albumen height, and the weight, percentage, thickness, and breaking strength of the eggshell did not response to increases in the Thr levels, but the albumen weight and its proportion increased significantly (p<0.05), whereas the yolk weight and its proportion decreased significantly as the Thr levels increased. Conclusion: According to a regression model, the optimal Thr requirement for egg production, egg mass, and FCR in Longyan ducks is 0.57%, while 0.58% is the optimal level for egg weight from 17 to 45 wk of age.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2003

A feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary complex probiotics on performance. egg qualities and intestinal microflora in laying hens. Three hundred twenty ISA Brown laying hens, 34 weeks of age, were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments containing 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4% complex probiotics for 12 weeks. There were four replicates per treament. Total egg production, soft and broken egg number tended to improve as dietary complex probiotics increased, but was not significantly different. Average egg weight was significantly higher in the 0.1% and 0.2% complex probiotics than the control(P<0.05). Daily egg mass also increased by adding complex probiotics compared to that of control, but was not statistically different. No significant difference was found in feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Eggshell breaking strength and thicknes were not significantly different, whereas yolk color was significantly lower in the supplemental 0.2% probiotics than the comtrol at 12 weeks of age(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in Haugh unit. Total number of cecum Lactobacillus and naerobes were significantly higher in the complex probiotics than control(p.0.05). However, the number of ileal Lactobacillus and naerobe were not significantly different. It was concluded that dietary complex probiotics could improve the egg weight and intestinal beneficial microbes.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.143-147
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• 2005

This study was conducted to evaluate the feeding value of the Flammulina veluipes media by-product(FMB) in laying hens(Hy-Line Brown). A total of three hundreds sixty were fed corn-soy based experimental diets containing 0(control), 5.0(T1), and $10\%(T2)$ FMB for 12 weeks. There were no significant differences among the treatments in egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion and viability during the experimental period. Feed intake was significantly(P<0.05) lowered in control(120.5g) than 72(123.9g). There were no significant differences among the treatments eggshell breaking strength, thickness and haugh unit, whereas the yolk color of T1 and T2 were significantly love. than control(p<0.05). In conclusion, the FMB can be used as resource of feed in laying hen feed at $5.0\%$ level without effect on performance and egg qualify. However, dietary pigments must be added when the FMB was used as a feed ingredients more than $10\%$ in diets.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary germanium biotite supplementation on egg quality and fecal noxious gas content in laying hens. One hundred and forty-four 40-wk-old, ISA Brown layers were used in this experiment. Dietary treatments were 1) CON(control diet), 2) GB0.5(control diet + 0.5% germanium biotite), 3) GB1.0 (control diet + 1.0% germanium biotite) and 4) GB1.5(control diet + 1.5% germanium biotite). Hen-day egg Production and egg shell breaking strength were not influenced by germanium biotite supplementation. However, egg weight decrease as the level of germanium biotite supplementation increased in the diets increased(Cubic effect, p<0.02). Eggshell thickness, yolk color and yolk index were not influenced by garmanium biotite supplementation. Serum triglyceride concentration as dietary germanium biotite increased (linear effect P<0.02; quadratic effect, p<0.05). Dietary supplementation of germanium biotite reduced fecal NH$_3$-N concentration (P<0.01), propionic acid(P<0.01), butyric acid( P<0.05) and acetic aicd(P<0.01) concentrations in the feces. In conclusion, the results of this experiment indicated that dietary germanium biotite supplementation did not affect egg shell quality, but reduced fecal NH$_3$-N concentration.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.172-177
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• 2014

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the dietary effects of conventional or lutein fortified chlorella on lutein absorptions, the tissue distributions and the changes in lutein content of eggs in laying hens. In Exp 1, a total of one hundred and fifty, 70 wk-old Hy-Line brown layers were divided into three groups with five replicates and fed with each experiment diet (control diet, diet with 1% conventional chlorella or lutein fortified chlorella) for 2 wk, respectively. The egg production in groups fed diets containing both chlorella powders were higher than that of the control group (p<0.01). With chlorella supplementations, the yolk color significantly increased, although there were no significant differences in the eggshell qualities. The lutein contents of serum, liver and growing oocytes were greatly increased by feeding conventional or lutein fortified chlorella (p<0.01). In Exp. 2, a total of ninety 60 wk-old Hy-Line brown layers were assigned into three groups with three replicates per group (10 birds per replicate). The birds were fed with one of three experimental diets (0, 0.1 or 0.2% lutein fortified chlorella) for 2 wk, respectively. The egg production was not affected by dietary treatments. The egg weight in the group fed with diet containing 0.2% of lutein fortified chlorella was higher than that of the control (p<0.05). As the dietary chlorella levels increased, the daily egg mass linearly increased, although not significantly. The yolk colors in groups fed diets containing lutein fortified chlorella were dramatically increased as compared to the control (p<0.001). The lutein in chicken eggs significantly increased when fed with 0.2% of lutein fortified chlorella (p<0.01). These results suggested that the dietary lutein derived from chlorella was readily absorbed into the serum and absorbed by the liver with growing oocyte for commercial laying hens. Particularly, the lutein fortified chlorella was a valuable natural source for the production of lutein enriched chicken eggs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.444-449
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• 2006

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of cheese byproduct on performance, egg quality and fatty acid profile of egg yolk lipids from laying hens. One hundred five 30-wk-old White leghorn laying hens were randomly distributed into five groups of twenty one hens each and maintained in individual laying cages for 4 weeks. The hens were assigned to five treatments that consisted of corn-soybean meal based diets containing 0, 1, 3, 5 or 10% of cheese byproduct. Feed intake and rate of egg production of hens were not significantly different across the treatments during the whole experiment (p>0.05). Similarly, egg yolk cholesterol level, egg weight, Haugh's unit, eggshell thickness, color, and strength were not significantly different across the treatments (p>0.05). The amount of C16:0 in egg yolk was not significantly different across the treatments, but that of C18:0 decreased with increased cheese byproduct (p<0.01). Monounsaturated fatty acid (C16:1 and C18:1) content in egg yolk was similar across the treatments. Total CLA and cis-9, trans-11 CLA content increased linearly with increased cheese byproduct (p<0.001), while trans-10, cis-12 CLA amount was not significantly different across the treatments (p>0.05). Total saturated fatty acid (SFA) in the egg yolk was decreased as the level of cheese byproduct including CLA increased (p<0.01). However, the amount of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) such as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-6 PUFA, and total PUFAs in the egg yolk were not significantly different across the treatments (p>0.05). Therefore, the present results showed that cheese byproduct beneficially improved the fatty acid composition of concern to human health in the egg yolk without adverse effects on egg quality.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of copper-soy proteinate (Cu-SP) on the performance of laying hens. A total of 1,000 Hy-Line Brown laying hens of 32 wks old were assigned to one of the following 5 dietary treatments: Control, Cu-SP 50, 100, 150, 200 (50, 100, 150, 200 ppm Cu supplementation as Cu-soy proteinate). Each treatment was replicated 4 times with fifty birds per replication, housed in 2 birds cages. Fifty birds units were arranged according to randomized block design. Feeding trial lasted 5 wks under 16L : 8D lighting regimen. There were no significant differences among treatments in hen-day and hen-house egg production, egg weight, broken & soft egg production. Feed intake and feed conversion rate (FCR) were significantly (P<0.01) lower in Cu-SP treated groups than Control. Eggshell thickness was significantly (P<0.01) higher in Control than Cu-SP 100, 150 and 200. Egg yolk color index was significantly (P<0.01) higher in Cu-SP 200 than other treatments. Egg shell color index was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Cu-SP 150 and Cu-SP 200 than Cu-SP 100. Concentration of copper, iron and zinc of the egg yolk were not significantly influenced by treatment. There were no significant differences in the level of leukocytes and erythrocytes in the chicken blood. The result of this experiment showed that dietary supplementation of Cu-SP at the level of 50ppm of Cu can reduce feed intake and FCR.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.171-176
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• 2008

Animal welfare advocates, claim that the induced molting by fasting be avoided. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of molting induced by various feeding methods on productivity and egg quality in laying hens. We used 400 flocks of 60-week-old leghorn laying hens in four treatments(five replicates of 20 hens each): fasting method (C), feeding single corn grain diet (T1), feeding single wheat bran diet (T2) and feeding single alfalfa meal diet (T3). As the result of the experiment, egg production and daily egg mass significantly decreased only in T1 compared with the control during the $1{\sim}4th$ week after the secondary egg laying (P<0.05). Although the amount of feed intake was significantly less in T1 group during the $1{\sim}4th$ week compared to the control, no significant difference was detected during the total period (P>0.05). In addition, no significant difference of feed conversion was observed between treatment groups. In terms of egg quality, the egg shell thickness was significantly improved in T1 group than the control group by feeding only corn at the 10th and 14th week after the secondary egg laying (P<0.05), but the significant decrease was observed at the corn (T1) and wheat bran (T2) fed treatment groups than the control group at the 26th week of the experiment (P<0.05). The eggshell strength and haugh unit did not show any difference by the molting methods. Egg yolk color was significantly decreased in T1 and T2 group than the control group at the 6th week (P<0.05). However, T1 and T2 group resulted to show significantly high egg yolk color at the 18th week of the experiment (P<0.05). As the result of the experiment, no large difference was observed in the productivity by the feeding molting method and by the fasting induced molting method. In addition, the single diet fed feeding induced molting method by using alfalfa revealed to show more satisfactory trend than the corn or wheat bran single diet fed feeding induced molting methods even if no statistically significant difference was found in terms of egg productivity.