Hen-day Production Research Articles

Effect of dietary supplementation of wild leek (Allium tricoccum) and garlic (Allium sativum) leaves on production, egg quality, serum lipid profile, intestinal morphology and nutrient digestibility of laying quails.

In this study, the effects of adding dried wild leek and garlic leaves to the diet of laying quails on egg quality, production performance, intestinal histomorphology, nutrient digestibility, and serum biochemical traits were evaluated. 168- 30 weeks aged- laying quails were randomly arranged into 7 treatments (control group and three different levels (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) of wild leek or garlic leaves), 6 replicates, and 4 quails per pen. According to the study, the highest hen-day production was achieved by adding 0.5% garlic leaves, and the egg weight was higher with 1% garlic leaves and 0.5% wild leek compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, adding garlic leaves decreased the average daily feed intake and increased high-density lipoprotein concentration. However, adding both herbs did not influence yolk height, albumin height, shell thickness, and Haugh unit (P > 0.05). All supplemented treatments significantly increased the formerly Roche Yolk Color Fan (DSM) index compared to the control. Quails fed with 1% garlic leaves declined serum cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and uric acid. Moreover, three levels of garlic leaves decreased triglyceride concentration. Adding 0.5% and 1% garlic leaves to the diet could increase the jejunal, and ileal villus height-to-crypt depth ratio. Furthermore, 1% and 1.5% garlic leaves supplementation elevated organic matter, ash, and crude protein digestibility. In conclusion, supplementing 1% garlic leaves to the quail's diet could improve egg weight, intestinal morphology, and nutrient digestibility, improving lipid profiles and reducing uric acid concentration in the serum. However, both plants were rich pigment sources, increasing the DSM index.

Comparison of Bamboo and Wire Types of Battery Materials on the Welfare and Production Performance of Laying Hen

This research aimed to determine the comparison of types of battery materials for laying hens, specifically bamboo and wire, on the welfare and production performance of laying hens. The material for this research consisted of 100 laying hens of the ISA Brown strain aged 54 weeks. The variables observed included livestock welfare, which was assessed through behavioral aspects (eating, drinking, and resting), while the production performance variables observed included HDP (Hen Day Production), egg weight, egg mass, and FCR (Feed Conversion Ratio). The research method employed an experimental approach using the T-test (independent sample). Two treatments were used, each with 50 replications. The results of the research indicated that the difference in treatment using T1 (bamboo battery materials) and T2 (wire battery materials) affected livestock welfare and production performance. The research results demonstrated that the behavior of bamboo batteries was considered better in terms of livestock welfare because they were able to better prevent heat stress. In terms of production performance, wire batteries exhibited higher Hen Day Production (HDP) and were better at preventing disease than bamboo batteries. However, bamboo batteries had a higher egg weight due to the frequency of feeding chickens being higher than wire batteries. Improved sanitation management is necessary for batteries made from bamboo because they tend to more easily become a medium for the growth of germs, lice, and fungi, which can cause disease and result in decreased production performance.

Effect of Genistein and Glycitein on production performance, egg quality, antioxidant function, reproductive hormones and related-genes in pre-peak laying hens

Genistein (GEN) and Glycitein (GLY), are types of isoflavone extracted mainly from soy plants, although GEN is associated with stronger antioxidant and growth-promoting effects. The impact of dietary GEN and GLY on reproductive performance, egg quality, and bone quality were investigated in the study. Additionally, to explore the underlying mechanism of action, the serum hormone levels and reproductive-related genes were investigated. A total of 378 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (120 days old) were randomly allocated to 3 dietary groups (Control), (GLY, and GEN at 50 mg/kg respectively) for a period of 8 wk. Each treatment has 126 birds (7 replicates of 18 birds each). Results were analyzed in 2 phases: wk 1 to 4, and 5 to 8 of feeding trial. The results indicated that supplemental GEN significantly increased egg number, hen-day production (HDP), and egg mass during wk 1 to 4, whereas, both glycitein and genistein increased egg number, egg weight, egg mass, HDP and improved feed-egg-ratio during wk 5 to 8. Egg quality analysis revealed significant improvements in eggshell quality; gloss, thickness, strength, and albumen quality indices (albumen height, Haugh unit, thick albumen fraction) due to dietary treatments. Also, the tibia strength, Ca content in the tibia ash and bone mineral content, were significantly increased by the dietary treatments. Significant increases in the serum levels of E2, LH, FSH, T3, T4, and GH, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes; SOD, CAT, GSH while reducing the level of MDA, was notable with the treatments. Additionally, reproductive-related genes: ESR1, FSHR, PRLR, GNRH1 were significantly upregulated by the supplementation of GEN and GLY. The efficacy of GEN in relation to the evaluated parameters was superior to that of GLY. Conclusively, we speculate that the improvement on laying performance, egg quality and tibia quality may be related to promoting effect of isoflavones on calcium metabolism, antioxidant function, reproductive hormones and related genes. Therefore, supplemental GEN at a dosage level of 50 mg/kg, can be used to promote laying performance, sustain egg production and maintain the physiological function of young laying hens.

Reproductive and Physiological Responses and Egg Quality Traits of Isa Brown Chickens fed Diets fed Ginger or Turmeric Powder under Tropical Hot Environments

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. Four hundred and twenty egg-type chicks of Isa Brown at three weeks old were assigned to 5 treatments: basal diet (G0); basal diet supplemented with 1.5 % (G1.5) or 3% (G3) ginger or 1.5(T1.5) or 3% (T3) turmeric during a 60 week trial period. A complete randomized design arrangement was applied. The results showed that the best (p&lt;0.05) hen-day production, hen-housed production, egg mass, feed conversion ratio (FCR), age at first lay and weight at first lay were obtained for birds receiving the 1.5% ginger ration. A higher mortality rate was experienced among the control groups (9.82%), while egg traits revealed significantly higher values of albumen height in hens placed on 1.5 and 3% turmeric powder compared to the other treatment groups. The study concluded that dietary ginger and turmeric enhanced the reproductive performance and egg quality of egg-type chickens over their commercial production lifespan without impairing their overall well-being.

Performance, hormonal assay, folliculogenesis and reproductive tract morphometry of ISA Brown hens fed diets supplemented with Garlic-tropical leaf meals composite mix

Abstract The study investigates the effects of composites of selected tropical leaf meals and garlic on laying hens using performance, hormonal, reproductive tract morphometry, and folliculogenesis as response criteria. Fresh (bitter, moringa, scent, and neem) leaves were harvested, air-dried, and mixed with garlic powder in a ratio of 4:3:1:1:1, respectively to produce the garlic-composite leaf mix (G-CLM). A basal diet was prepared, divided into five equal portions and G-CLM was added at 0gkg-1, 5gkg-1, 10gkg-1, 15gkg-1, and 20gkg-1. Two hundred and seventy, 18 weeks old ISA Brown breed were randomly allotted to the five experimental diets and the trial lasted for 4 months. The results showed that hen-day production was highest at 5gkg-1 supplementation. All reproductive hormones measured were also significantly (p&lt;0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments with the exception of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The result showed that significantly (p&lt;0.05) larger Preovu one (2.79 cm) and previtellogenic count (23.33) were observed in birds fed 5 gkg-1. In addition, the heaviest tract weight (46.67 g) and ovary weight (33.00 g) were observed in birds fed 20 gkg-1. It was concluded that the usage of G-CLM at 5 gkg-1 could be encouraged in layer nutrition with the aim to improve the clutch size.

Performa Produksi Ayam Ras Petelur Isa Brown yang Diberi Pakan Jadi dan Campur

The study aims to determine the production performance of Isa Brown laying hens who are given finished feed and mixed feed. Research materials include finished feed for laying hens 524AX produced by PT. Charoen Pokphand Indonesia, and mixed feed consisting of a special layer concentrate super 36 SPR added yellow corn and bran. The study was conducted for 4 weeks in Suruhwadang Village, Kademangan District, Blitar Regency. The method used in the study was a survey and observation with the number of samples taken as many as 180 laying hens Isa Brown aged 44 weeks. The variables observed in the study were feed consumption, hen day production (HDP) and feed conversion (Feed Conversion Ratio). The data were analyzed using quantitative descriptive analysis and the test conducted was a t-test of 2 samples using SPSS software version 2.6 to compare production performance given finished feed and mixed feed. The results showed the performance of finished feed production for feed consumption: 113gr/head/day; HDP: 86.50%; FCR: 2.09. While laying hens are given mixed feed as follows: feed consumption: 112.47gr / head / day; HDP: 83.80% FCR: 2.11. The variable results of feed consumption and FCR from finished feed and mixed feed did not differ markedly while HDP from finished feed and mixed feed differed markedly. The conclusion of the results of the study is that Isa Brown laying hens that are given finished feed have more advantages than nutritional content compared to mixed feed, such as amino acids. The finished feed has a crumble shape that is preferred by livestock compared to mixed feed l finer than crumble. This leads to a little more feed consumption than mixed feed.

Production Elasticity of Layer Farming During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Blitar District

The livestock sub-sector, an integral part of the agricultural sector, is the animal protein producing sub-sector which plays an important role in meeting people's nutritional needs. The development of the laying hen farming business has enormous potential, this is because purebred chicken eggs contribute quite a lot to animal protein self-sufficiency. The research aims to analyze the input factors of the production that affect the production of layer farming businesses and to assess the production elasticity of these businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Blitar District. Data collection took place between July and August 2020 in the Blitar Distrcit. Utilizing a sample random sampling method. The study involved 64 farmers as representative. The research variables used in this study were the population of laying hens, the price of chicken eggs, feed costs, vaccines and medicines expenses, seed prices, mortality, electricity costs, the price of culled chickens, Hen Day Production (HDP) and the number of workers. Quantitative analysis was employed to analyze production costs, revenues, and income, while qualitative analysis was used to analyze production elasticity through Cobb-Douglas regression analysis. The research data were processed using SPSS version 24. The results of the study indicate that 1) the population of laying hens and HDP significantly affected the production of layer farming businesses, along with the cost of vaccines and medications in the Blitar District. 2) The population of layers, mortality rates, electricity costs, HDP, and total labor demonstrated elasticity with respect to the production of layer farms. Conversely, egg prices, feed costs, vaccination and medication expenses, day-old chick (DOC) costs, and final chicken prices exhibited inelasticity concerning the production of layer farms in Blitar district.

Pengaruh Pemberian Ekstrak Kunyit (Curcuma domestica) Dalam Air Minum Terhadap Performa Produksi Ayam Ras Petelur Fase Layer

This study aims to analyze the effect of giving turmeric extract as an additive in drinking water on the production performance of layer phase laying hens. The experimental design used in this study was a completely randomized design (CRD) carried out experimentally with 60 laying hens in the layer phase of the Isa Brown type with five treatments and four replications. The treatment used was P0 (without adding turmeric extract) as a control, P1 (1% turmeric extract), P2 (2% turmeric extract), P3 (3% turmeric extract), P4 (4% turmeric extract). The variables observed included Ration Consumption, Body Weight Growth (PBB), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Drinking Water Consumption, Hen Day Production (HDP). The research data were analyzed using analysis of variance and if they showed significant differences then they were further tested using Duncan's multiple range test. The results showed that the addition of turmeric extract as an additive had a significant effect (P&lt;0.05) on the production performance of layer phase laying hens (P&lt;0.05) on Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Drinking Water Consumption and Hen Day production (HDP). For drinking water consumption, the highest yield was P0 = 7,132,50 ± 187,68a. At FCR the highest result was obtained P2 = 2,35 ± 0,26a, while at HDP the highest result was obtained P1 = 69,75 ± 11,58a. The conclusion from this study is that the addition of turmeric extract can be used as a feed additive to extend the shelf life of laying hens.

The Effect of Organic Trace Mineral Supplementation in the Form of Proteinates on Performance and Sustainability Parameters in Laying Hens: A Meta-Analysis.

The effect of supplementing organic trace minerals (OTM), in the form of mineral proteinates (Bioplex® Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY, USA), in the diets of laying hens was examined using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) statistical software. The impact on production performance, egg quality traits, and sustainability parameters related to the carbon footprint of egg production was assessed. Data were obtained from 32 global studies, comprising 107 dietary assessments of 30,992 laying hens. Overall pooled effect size (raw mean difference) of production performance when dietary organic trace minerals were supplemented either in basal diets, partial replacement of inorganic trace minerals (ITM), or total replacement of ITM, indicated that use of Bioplex minerals resulted in 2.07% higher hen-day production (HDP), whilst feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lower by 51.28 g feed/kg egg and 22.82 g feed/dozen eggs, respectively. For egg quality traits, daily egg mass was 0.50 g/hen/day higher and egg weight was 0.48 g per egg greater when Bioplex minerals were incorporated in the diet. The mean difference in egg loss was -0.62%. Eggshell thickness was greater by 0.01 mm, and a higher eggshell strength of 0.14 kgf was observed. Eggshell weight was heavier by 0.20 g, eggshell percentage was higher by 0.15%, and Haugh unit was 1 point higher (0.89). We also carried out a meta-regression of the effects of the study factors (location, year of study, hen breed/strain, age of hens, number of hens, and study duration) on the overall pooled effect size of the production performance and egg quality traits in response to supplementary OTM inclusion, and it indicated that certain factors had a significant (p < 0.05) impact on the results. Finally, a life cycle assessment (LCA) model was selected to evaluate the impact of feeding organic trace mineral proteinates on the carbon footprint (feed and total emission intensities) of the egg production using the data generated from the meta-analysis. Results showed that the inclusion of OTM proteinates resulted in an average drop in feed and total emission intensities per kg eggs of 2.40% and 2.50%, respectively, for a low-global-warming-potential (GWP) diet and a drop of 2.40% and 2.48% for feed and total emissions, respectively, based on high-GWP diet. Based on the overall results, the inclusion of organic trace mineral proteinates in layer diets can benefit production performance and egg quality traits while contributing to a lower carbon footprint.

Identification of epidemiological risk factors for spotty liver disease in cage-free layer flocks in houses with fully slatted flooring in Australia

Spotty liver disease (SLD) is recognized to be caused by infection with Campylobacter hepaticus in adult layer hens farmed in cage-free environments. SLD is an emerging disease as cage-free egg production increases in popularity in response to desires for improved welfare of poultry. Outbreaks of SLD are frequently experienced around peak egg production in flocks, commonly between 25 and 40 wk of age. The disease becomes manifest with increased exposure and access of the birds to the feces of the flock. This study follows from a previous epidemiological survey of free-range and barn flocks in Australia which identified the presence of a scratch area within the laying house as a major risk factor for the occurrence of SLD. However, that survey also observed SLD occurrence in 45% of houses with a fully slatted floor (no scratch area). The present study describes a further analytical survey aimed at identification of risk factors for SLD in houses with fully slatted flooring. A comprehensive questionnaire was completed for 49 cage-free flocks from point of lay until 40 wk of age across Australia, retrieving information on house design, bird breed, flock size, stocking densities, bird growth, and performance and the occurrence of SLD. Multiple logistic regression model building was used to separate factors and identify important management factors that may be amenable to modify the occurrence of SLD in egg layers. Key determinants of SLD identified from the analyses were that houses with mechanical ventilation (such as tunnel ventilation) have some protection from SLD and an increase of an extra 1 bird/m2 of nest space increased odds of occurrence of SLD by 1.172 times. A recommendation to not exceed 112 brown egg layer hens/m2 of nest space in naturally ventilated houses with a full slat floor was suggested. A delay in birds reaching 60% hen day production (HD) by 1 wk is suggested as a possible predictor for a subsequent outbreak of SLD.

Evaluation of Feed Nutritional Content on The Laying Hens Productivity In East Lombok Regency

The performance of laying hens is affected by feed quality and can be seen from feed consumption, egg weight and hen day production (HDP). The aim of this study was to determine the quality of feed on the performance of laying hens. Sampling was carried out via interview on farmers in East Lombok representing each sub-district with a minimum population of 500 laying hens. Sampling of feed ingredients and 20 eggs was carried out on each farm for analysis in the laboratory. The descriptive analysis was performed on acquired data. The results showed that farmers in East Lombok used different percentages of corn, concentrate and mineral feed ingredients. The nutritional content of feed given consist of crude protein (14,17-16,90%), crude fat (3,17-3,36%), crude fiber (6,13-7,06%), calcium (1, 03-1,29), phosphorus (0,26-1,33%) and metabolic energy (2751,96-2925,79 Kcal/kg). The conclusion is some farmers in East Lombok Regency provide feed that does not suitable to the nutritional needs required by laying hens, namely the content of crude protein, calcium and phosphorus according to SNI standards which has an impact on reducing egg weight and HDP.

Laying Hens Growth Performance in the Peak Production Phase Offered Bio-Herbal as a Feed Additive

Theaim of this research was to evaluatethe effect of the addition of bio-herbal as a feed additive on feed consumption,hen day production, feed egg ratioand mortality of laying hens. The materialsin this experiment used200 laying hens of the Hyline strainage 28to 36 weeks (reared for 60 days). The method used in this study was an invivoexperimental method using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with treatmentsconsisting of P0 = drinking water without bio-herbals (control treatment), T1 = control treatment + bio-herbal yellow, P2 = control treatment + bio-herbal green, and T3 = control treatment + bio-herbal combination yellow and green (alternately every one week). Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and if there was a significant effect,then testedwith Duncan's Multiple Range Test. The observed variables were feed consumption, Hen Day Production(HDP), feed egg ratioand mortality. The results showed that the addition of bio-herbals hadno significant effect (P&gt; 0.05) on the feed consumption, hen day production, feed egg ratioand mortality. It can be concluded bio-herbal green gives the best results in improving egg quality. Due to the bioactive compoundsof bio-herbal green, theyconsist of probiotic and phytobiotic.

Utilization of Indigofera Leaf Flour (Indigofera zollingeriana Miq) as Feed to Increase the Production and Internal Quality of KUB Chicken Eggs

One of the variants of native chicken that is quite potential to be developed in Indonesia is the KUB chicken. The quality and production of free-range chicken eggs can be increased by providing quality feed. One alternative source of quality feed is the use of Indigofera zollingeriana leaves. This study aims to determine the increase in egg production and internal quality by adding Indigofera zollingeriana Leaf Flour (ILF) in KUB chicken rations. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of 5 treatments, namely R0 (control), R1 (7.5% ILF), R2 (15.0% ILF), R3 (22.25% ILF), and R4 (30.0% ILF) and 6 replicates. Observation parameters include Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), egg production, egg weight, Hen Day Production (HDP), and internal egg quality. The results showed that adding ILF significantly increased production, internal egg quality, and ration conversion but had no significant effect on ration consumption. The highest increase in egg production was obtained by treatment with 15% and 22.5% ILF, with HDP 53.87%. The increase in egg weight quality, egg yolk index, white egg index, and egg yolk color were highest in the treatment with 30% ILF compared to the control. Giving ILF 22.5% gave the lowest FCR value compared to other treatments. It was concluded that providing ILF in the ration significantly increased egg production and internal quality in KUB chickens.

Effects of Black pepper, Turmeric, and Fennel on Essential and Non-essential Chemical Contents of Egg

The use of essential oils (EOs) in animal feeding has gained attention as a potential antibiotic growth promoter replacement over the past two decades. The current study aimed to determine the impact of three feed additives, namely black pepper, turmeric, and fennel, on the productivity of laying hens, the chemical composition, and macro- and microelement content in layer eggs. A total of 280 chicks aged 75 days were randomly divided into 7 treatments (5 replicates of 8 chicks). One treatment group was provided as the unsupplemented control. The other six treatment groups, namely D0 (basal diet [BD] control), D1 (BD + 1% of black pepper), D2 (BD + 1% of turmeric), D3 (BD + 1% of fennel), D4 (BD + 0.5% of black pepper + 0.5% of turmeric), D5 (BD + 0.5% of black pepper + 0.5% of fennel), D6 (BD + 0.5% of turmeric + 0.5% of fennel) were supplemented with varying levels of phytobiotics. The result of the study indicated that the egg weight, Hen-day-production (HDP), egg quality, and haugh unit significantly improved with a combined supplementation of phytobiotics (D4, D5, and D6 diets) when compared with the control. However, there were no significant differences in the chemical composition of eggs. The X-ray fluorescence spectrometer analysis of eggs revealed the presence of 17 significant elements, including phosphorous, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, and bromine. The study findings showed that the combined supplementation of phytobiotics lowered K and Cl, whereas Zn, Ca, S, and Cu contents positively increased in hen eggs by including phytobiotic in the diet. In conclusion, the EOs of phytobiotics as dietary supplementation at 1% and 0.5% could improve the HDP, egg weight, and egg mass, including nutrient elements in the egg. Keywords: Egg, Essential oil, Hen, Mineral, Phytobiotic

PERBEDAAN PEMBERIAN TEPUNG ROTI AFKIR TERHADAP PRODUKTIVITAS AYAM PETELUR FASE PRODUKSI

The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in giving rejected bread flour to the productivity of laying hens in the production phase in UD. Podo Trisno Farm. The materials were using 200 laying hens in production phase with Lohmann strain, 28 weeks of age. Completely randomized design was used in this research with five treatments and four replications. The treatments were P0 (100% of control feed), P1 (90% feed + 10% rejected bread flour), P2 (85% feed + 15% rejected bread flour), P3 (80% feed + 20% rejected bread flour ) and P4 (75% feed + 25% rejected bread flour). The research variables were daily egg production or Hen Day Production (HDP) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), if there were significant different would be continued with Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results showed that the effect of each treatment on HDP and FCR was significantly different (P&lt;0.05). P0 is the best treatment. From the results of the Duncan Multiple Range Test, P0 and P3 were not significantly different on HDP and FCR. P1 and P4 were not significantly different, but different from P3 and P0. P2 is the treatment with the lowest HDP level and the highest FCR 2. So, it can be concluded that the difference in giving rejected bread flour does not affect the Hen Day Production and Feed Convertion Ratio of laying hens in the production phase.

Improving the Quality of Tofu Waste by Mixing it with Carrots and Probiotics as a Feed Source of Probiotics and β-Carotene

The purpose of this study was to evaluate nutritional content of tofu waste mixed with carrot juice and fermented with Saccharomyces spp. (TWCF), so that it has potential as a feed supplement that is rich in β-carotene, high in protein and lysine, and contains probiotics. The laying hens (n=192, 70 weeks old) were randomly allotted into 4 diets groups. The hens were fed diets i) without TWCF as a control diets (TF0), ii) supplemented with 2% TWCF (B); iii) supplemented with 4% TWCF (C); and iv) supplemented with 6% TWCF (D). Inclusion of TWCF in diets increased nutrient digestibility (DM, OM, and CP) significantly (P≤0.05). Fermentation of TWC with YC (TWCF) can increase (P≤0.05) nutrient of TWC especially: CP, Lysine, and BC. Inclusion up to 2% TWCF can be used in laying hen diets to improve (P≤0.05) feed digestibility (DM, OM, CP), egg production, eggshell thickness, yolk color, BC, and yolk cholesterol. It is concluded that dietary supplementation of laying hens with TWCF can increase hen-day production, egg shell thickness, BC, and egg yolk color.

Effects of Using Processed Amaranth Grain with and without Enzyme on Performance, Egg Quality, Antioxidant Status and Lipid Profile of Blood and Yolk Cholesterol in Laying Hens.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding Amaranthus hybridus chlorostachys grain (AG) with (+E) and without enzyme (-E) on performance, egg quality, antioxidant status and lipid profile of blood serum and yolk cholesterol in laying hens. A total of 960 white leghorn (Hy-line W-36) commercial layers (56 weeks) were divided into 10 groups with 8 replicates per group (12 birds per replicate, including 3 adjacent cages with 4 birds each). A completely randomized design was implemented with a 5 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of five levels of AG (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 g/kg) and two levels of multienzyme complex addition (0 -E and 0.25 +E g/kg) fed to the hens for 12 weeks (2 wk. adaptation + 10 wk. main experiment). Feed intake (FI) and percentage of hen day production (HDP) were not affected by main effect of the AG level, but egg mass (EM) and egg weight (EW) were decreased (p &lt; 0.01), and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was impaired (p &lt; 0.01). EM, EW and FCR were improved by enzyme addition (p &lt; 0.01). EM, EW and FCR were affected (p &lt; 0.01) by the interaction of AG and enzyme addition. The highest value of EM and the lowest value of FCR were observed in hens on the diet containing 200 g/kg AG with enzyme addition. Egg yolk cholesterol content was reduced (p &lt; 0.05) by up to 10% with increasing levels AG in experimental diets. The egg quality traits, including Haugh units of protein quality, strength and shell thickness, were not affected by the main effects or interaction of AG and enzyme consumption. Amaranth feeding led to a decrease (p &lt; 0.05) in triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) while also promoting increases (p &lt; 0.05) in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the blood. A comparison of the effects of contrasts showed that functional parameters (except FI), yolk cholesterol, antioxidant parameters (except MDA) and blood lipid profile had differed significantly (p &lt; 0.05) between the hens fed amaranth versus those not fed amaranth. These findings indicate that feeding a diet containing up to 200 g/kg of AG with enzyme addition can improve EW, EM and FCR. Feeding laying hens diets containing AG also positively influenced blood traits and antioxidant status in laying hens while reducing egg yolk cholesterol content.

Performance and environmental impact of egg production in response to dietary supplementation of mannan oligosaccharide in laying hens: a meta-analysis

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of supplementing mannan oligosaccharide (MOS; Bio-Mos, Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY) in the diets of laying hens on the performance and environmental impact of egg production. Data on production performance (feed intake, hen-day production [HDP], feed conversion ratio [FCR], and mortality) and egg quality attributes (egg weight, egg mass, and eggshell thickness) were extracted from 18 studies to build a database of comparisons between nonsupplemented diets (control) and diets supplemented with MOS. A total of 4,664 laying hens were involved in the comparisons and the average MOS dosage and age of hens were 0.97 kg/ton and 44 wk, respectively. The dataset was analyzed using the random-effects model to estimate the effect size of MOS supplementation on production performance and egg quality attributes. The impact of feeding MOS on the carbon footprint (feed and total emission intensities) of egg production was evaluated by using the meta-analysis results of production performance to develop a scenario simulation that was analyzed by a life cycle assessment (LCA) model. Overall pooled effect size (raw mean difference) indicated that MOS supplementation did not affect feed intake. In contrast, HDP increased by +1.76% and, FCR and mortality reduced by −26.64 g feed/kg egg and −2.39%, respectively. Dietary MOS did not influence egg weight while egg mass increased (P < 0.01) by +0.95 g/day/hen and eggshell thickness tended to increase (P = 0.07) by +0.05 mm. Subgroup analysis indicated that dietary MOS exhibited consistent improvement on HDP and FCR under several study factors (age of hens, number of hens, production challenges, MOS dosage, and study duration). Additionally, the simulated LCA revealed that supplementing MOS decreased feed and total emission intensities of egg production by −1.3 and −1.5%, respectively. Overall, dietary supplementation of MOS at 1.0 kg/ton improved the production performance of laying hens and reduced the carbon footprint and, therefore, can enhance the sustainability credentials of egg production.

Effects of Stocking Density in Group Cages on Egg Production, Profitability, and Aggressive Pecking of Hens

ABSTRACT There is an increasing concern about welfare issues related to battery cages, which are commonly used in Vietnam, and requires a modified cage that improves hen welfare while retaining its economic and management advantages. We combined adjacent conventional cages to form group cages to examine the effects of stocking density on egg production, economic returns, and aggressive pecking of hens. The control group included triplicate conventional cages with four birds/single cage (12 hens per three cages) or 450 cm2 area per hen. Three group cage treatments were set up with 10, 12, and 14 birds per group cage or 540, 450, and 386 cm2 of floor area per hen, respectively. Compared to 14 birds per cage, hens housed at 10 birds per group cage had a higher hen-day production, consumed less feed, and thus had a better feed conversion ratio/dozen eggs. Reducing the stocking density to 10 birds per group cage resulted in additional production cost, but it was compensated for by a high egg income, and significantly decreased aggressive pecks. Group cages benefit hen performance, profitability, and welfare when decreasing the stocking density to 10 birds per cage with 540 cm2/hen.

Species identification and prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in Indonesian native chickens, and its impact on egg production

Abstract. Zalizar L, Winaya A, Malik A, Widodo W, Suyatno, Anggraini AD. 2021. Species identification and prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in Indonesian native chickens, and its impact on egg production. Biodiversitas 22: 4363-4369. Gastrointestinal parasite (GIP) infection is a severe problem of local chicken production, such as poultry and egg. Hence, the proper strategy to control the parasite invasion should be implemented regarding chicken productivity performance. Moreover, the existing environment is also essential in supporting chicken production. The study's objective was to determine the prevalence rate of the gastrointestinal helminths in four strains of Indonesian native chicken viz. Ranupane, Lokal Putih, Wareng, and Lurik, and the impact of the chicken egg production. A total of 280 chickens which were evaluated consisting of 70 birds from each strain, were tested for the prevalence of helminths eggs in a sample of feces and the effect on hen day production (HDP). The results showed that the percentage rates of infected chicken with helminths reached 56.43%, and the number of eggs per gram (EPG) in all four strains was considered moderate (115 EPG of feces). At the same time, the average of HDP per the four strains at 7 to 12 months was about 34.36-45.80%, which was in a normal range. The majority of helminths species found in examined native chicken were Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, Raillietina spp., and Capillaria spp. The prevalence of GIP helminths did not negatively affect egg production in all four strains of chicken by moderately tolerant infections, and the HDP of chickens was normal.