• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1458-1463
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• 2016

A 42-d study with 384 Hy-line brown laying hens was conducted to assess the effects of dietary octacosanol supplementation on laying performance, egg quality and blood metabolites of laying hens. Hens were randomly allocated into 4 dietary groups of 8 cages each, which were fed basal diet supplemented with 0 (Control), 9 (OCT9), 18 (OCT18), and 27 (OCT27) mg/kg diet of octacosanol isolated from rice bran, respectively. The experiment was conducted in an environmental controlled house and hens were fed twice daily for ad libitum intake. Laying performance was determined over the 42-d period, and egg quality as well as blood metabolites were estimated on d 21 and d 42. Diets in OCT18 and OCT27 increased (p<0.05) laying rate, egg weight, egg mass, egg albumen height, Haugh unit and eggshell strength on d 42, but decreased (p<0.05) feed conversion rate and levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in the serum as compared to those of Control. Feed intake, yolk color, yolk diameter, eggshell thickness and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were similar (p>0.05) among treatments. Results demonstrate that supplementing 18 to 27 mg/kg diet of rice bran octacosanol can improve laying rate and egg quality and reduce blood lipid of laying hens.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.3_spc
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• pp.449-456
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• 2021

Objective: Seaweeds could be an alternative and functional feed resource. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of Sargassum meal on laying performance and egg quality of layers. Methods: Two hundred 36-wk-old layers were divided into five treatment groups. Each treatment had four replicates with 10 hens per experimental unit. The corn-soybean meal basal diet was formulated as control group. Sargassum meals were included 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, or 5% to diets for five treatment groups, respectively. Treatment groups were isocaloric-isonitrogenous diets. Laying performance and egg quality were measured for eight weeks. Results: Sargassum meal supplementation did not affect daily feed intake. Supplementation 1% to 3% of Sargassum meal in diets increased daily laying rate and egg mass compared with those from control group (p<0.05). Egg qualities among five groups were all similar. Supplementation of 3% Sargassum meal increased the lightness of egg yolk (p<0.05). Eggs produced from layers fed 1% and 2% Sargassum meal had a higher consumer's acceptability than the control group (p<0.05). In blood characteristics, contents of glucose, nitrogen, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) increased as the increase of supplementation ratio of Sargassum meal (p<0.05). In serum antibody titers, supplementation of 2% Sargassum meal stimulated a higher immunoglobulin M (IgM) level than that from control group (p<0.05). However, IgM content of layers fed diets with Sargassum meal ≥3% were decreased (p<0.05). There was no difference in IgA and IgG titers among groups. Conclusion: Supplementation of 1% to 3% Sargassum meal has shown to increase egg laying rate and egg mass of Leghorn layers. However, high supplementation (5%) would negatively affect laying performance. In consideration of laying performance, egg quality, consumer responses, and blood antibody, supplementation of Sargassum meal was suggested 2% in the diet for layers.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.171-181
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• 2004

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementing earthworm meal (EWM) on the performance of spent laying hens after induced molting, and fatty acid composition in egg yolks. A total of 90 laying hens at 73 weeks of age were fed the experimental diets containing 0.0% (Control) and 0.2% of EWM for 4 weeks. Eggs were collected and weighted every day and Egg production and feed conversion were recorded every week during the experimental period. However fatty acid composition of egg yolk were measured at last week of experimental period. An amount of feed intake increased by supplemental with EMW except for Erst week experimental period (P<0.05). When 76 and 77 week of age, egg production and daily egg mass were improved by the supplemented with EWM (P<0.01), but average egg weight was not different when fed a EWM, therefore feed/egg mass was significantly decreased when fed a EWM. The ratio of egg yolk n-6/n-3 fatty acids contents was significantly improved fed a EMW (P<0.05). It is concluded that supplementing 0.2% of earthworm meal in the spent laying hens after induced molting was fast in recover of physical strength, therefore improves laying performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.944-947
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• 2007

This study was conducted to study the effects of dietary garlic powder on laying performance, egg traits and blood serum cholesterol level of quails. A total of three hundred quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) aged nine weeks were used. They were allocated to 3 dietary treatments. Each treatment comprised 5 replicates of 20 quails. The diets were supplemented with 0, 5 and 10 g/kg garlic powder. The experimental period lasted 21 weeks. The addition of garlic powder did not significantly affect body weight, egg production, feed consumption, feed efficiency, egg shell thickness, egg albumen index, egg yolk index and egg Haugh unit. Adding 5 and 10 g/kg garlic powder to the laying quail diets increased egg weight (p<0.01). Egg yolk cholesterol and blood serum cholesterol concentration were reduced with garlic powder supplementation. The results of this study demonstrated that garlic powder addition had a significant cholesterol-reducing effect in serum and egg yolk without adverse effects on performance and egg traits of laying quails.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2016

This study aimed to determine the effect of different dietary level of rice bran extract (RBO) on the laying performance, egg quality, blood parameter, cholesterol, and fatty acids in yolk of Hy-Line Laying hens. In all, 144 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (29 weeks old) were randomly allocated to one of 4 dietary treatments, with 4 replicates per treatment. A commercial basal diet was used and three additional diets were prepared by supplementing 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0 g/kg of RBO to the basal diet. The experimental diets were fed on an ad libitum basis to the bird during 8 weeks. Hen-day egg production increased (quadratic, p<0.05) with inclusion level of RBO, but feed intake, egg weight, and egg mass were not influenced by inclusion of level of RBO in diet. However, the supplementation of RBO did not have an effect on eggshell strength, eggshell thickness, egg yolk color, and HU during the feeding trial. There were no significant differences in the level of leukocyte. However, heterophil and lymphocytes decreased (quadratic, p<0.01) with inclusion level of RBO. H:L ratio tended to decrease (linear p=0.08) with inclusion level of RBO. As expected, increasing inclusion level of RBO in diets decreased (linear, p<0.01) the concentrations of total cholesterol in plasma. AST, ALT, glucose, and albumin were not affected by inclusion of RBO in diets. Egg yolk cholesterol increased (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) with inclusion level of RBO in diet. The results of this study indicate that dietary supplementation of RBO improves laying performance and decreased total cholesterol and egg yolk cholesterol levels in laying hens. Therefore, dietary RBO is considered a valuable functional ingredient to improve the performance of birds.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2000

This study was carried out to determine the effect of sound stimulation on growth performance, feeding behaviour and egg production of laying hens. A total of 180 laying hens(4 weeks old) were alloted to 18 cages with 10hens per cage and 6 cages per treatment. Laying hens were exposed to three sounds: control, Leq 50dB and Leq 75dB. The growth performance was measured fro m4 weeks to 17 weeks of age, feeding behaviour was observed at 5weeks, 7weeks, 10weeks and 50 weeks of age using data from real-time videotapes, while eg production was recorded from 20 weeks to 50 weeks of age. Growth performance was improved in the sound stimulated laying hens from 12 weeks to 17 weeks of age. In the 50dB simulated laying hens spent more longer time for feeding than others during the experimental period. Egg production of 50dB stimulated laying hens from 20 weeks to 50 weeks was higher than others, however 75dB stimulated laying hens were significantly lower than 50dB stimulated hens(P<0.05). The results indicated that the growth and egg production of egg type chicken can be influenced by sound stimulation through physiological rhythm.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.863-870
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• 2022

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of octacosanol (OCT) extracted from triticale sprout on laying performance, egg quality, and blood parameters of laying hens. A total of 192, Hyline brown laying hens aged 43 weeks were divided into 4 dietary groups of 48 birds each and they were randomly subjected to one of the experimental diets containing OCT at the levels of none, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg of diet. All birds were fed with isoenergetic and isonitrogenous mash diets for 6 weeks. The result showed that hens supplemented with 20 and 30 mg/kg OCT in diet significantly increased (p < 0.05) egg production than those fed with the basal diet. OCT concentration in the egg yolk of hens fed with 20 and 30 mg/kg OCT was significantly higher than in those fed the control diet. Hens fed 20 and 30 mg/kg OCT exhibited greater high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and interleukin (IL) concentrations and reduced serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglyceride compared to those fed with 0 and 10 mg/kg OCT. This study indicates that supplementing the diet of laying hens with 20 and 30 mg/kg of OCT can improve the performance, egg quality, and health status of laying hens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1478-1483
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• 2006

This experiment was carried out to determine the effects of supplementation of L-carnitine and humic substances alone or in combination in laying hen diets on performance, egg traits and blood parameters. A total of 180 IGH type brown laying hens aged 22 weeks were employed in a completely randomized block design with one control group and three treatment groups. Each group was divided into five replicates as subgroups, each comprising 9 hens. The diets of the first, second and third treatment groups were supplemented with 0.1 g/kg L-carnitine, 1.5 g/kg humic substances (Farmagulator$^{(R)}$ Dry Plus) and 0.1 g/kg L-carnitine+1.5 g/kg humic substances, respectively. The experimental period lasted 18 weeks. Feeding supplemental carnitine, humic substances or carnitine+humic substances resulted in increases in body weight gain (p<0.05). Dietary treatments did not significantly affect daily feed intake, daily metabolizable energy intake, egg production, egg weight, feed efficiency, mortality, egg shape index, egg breaking strength, egg shell thickness, egg albumen index, egg yolk index, egg Haugh unit and the percentages of egg shell, albumen and yolk. Supplementation of humic substances reduced egg yolk cholesterol as mg per g yolk and mg per yolk (p<0.05). Blood serum parameters were not affected by the supplementation of carnitine, humic substances or carnitine+humic substances. The results in this study demonstrated that humic substances supplementation reduced egg cholesterol without adverse effects on performance, egg traits and blood parameters of laying hens. It was concluded that the usage of L-carnitine alone or in combination with humic substances in diets had no beneficial effects in laying hens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.538-543
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• 2015

This experiment was conducted to measure the effects of olive leaf powder on performance, egg yield, egg quality and yolk cholesterol level of laying hens. A total of 120 Lohmann Brown laying hens of 22 weeks old were used in this experiment. The birds were fed on standard layer diets containing 0, 1%, 2%, or 3% olive leaf powder for 8 weeks. Egg weight and yield were recorded daily; feed intake weekly; egg quality and cholesterol content at the end of the trial. Olive leaf powder had no effect on feed intake, egg weight, egg yield and feed conversion ratio (p>0.05) while olive leaf powder increased final body weight of hens (p<0.05). Dietary olive leaf powder increased yellowness in yolk color (p<0.01) without affecting other quality parameters. Yolk cholesterol content was tended to decrease about 10% (p>0.05). To conclude, olive leaf powder can be used for reducing egg yolk cholesterol content and egg yolk coloring agent in layer diets.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.886-894
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• 2021

Objective: An experiment was conducted to study the effect of graded concentration of digestible lysine (dLys) on performance of layers fed diets containing sub-optimal level of protein. Methods: Five diets were formulated to contain graded concentrations of dLys (0.700%, 0.665%, 0.630%, 0.593%, and 0.563%), but similar levels of crude protein (15% CP), energy (10.25 MJ ME/kg) and other nutrients. A total of 3,520 hens (26 wk of age) with mean body weight of 1,215+12.65 g were randomly divided into 40 replicate groups of 88 birds in each and housed in an open sided colony cage house. Each diet was offered ad libitum to eight replicates from 27 to 74 wk of age. The performance was compiled at every 28 d and the data for each parameter were grouped into three phases, that is early laying phase (27 to 38 wk), mid laying phase (39 to 58 wk), and late laying phase (59 to 74 wk of age) for statistical analysis. Results: Egg production, egg mass and feed efficiency (feed required to produce an egg) were significantly improved by the dLys level during the early and mid laying phases but not during the late phase. Whereas feed intake was significantly reduced by dLys concentration during mid and late laying phases but not during early laying phase. The egg weight was not affected by dLys concentration in any of the three phases. Conclusion: Based on best fitted statistical models, dietary requirements of dLys worked out to be 0.685%, 0.640%, and 0.586% during early phase, mid phase, and late egg laying phase, respectively. The calculated requirement of dLys for the respective production phases are 727 mg/b/d during the early and mid laying phases and 684 mg/b/d during the late laying phase in diets containing 15% CP.