Hen Weight Research Articles

Effect of Using Germinated and Fermented Lupin and Oats as a Dietary Protein Source on Laying Hen Performance and Egg Quality

Soybean meal is the dominant protein source for poultry nutrition. However, soybean is not widely grown in Europe, necessitating importation from other countries. To reduce dependency on imported soybean meal, an alternative feed material is needed. Fermentation and/or germination of grains are known to increase the value of the protein content of a diet. This study aimed to determine if they could substitute partly soybean meal in a diet. Germinated or fermented or germinated and fermented grains of lupin and oats were used in laying hen’s diet (a mix of 6.50% lupin and 3.50% oat grains). Oats were dehulled or not dehulled. The hens’ weight loss and the downgraded eggs rate were the lowest when using fermented grains. All trial diets reduced the egg cholesterol content. Dehulling had only a slight effect on performance. Diets containing germinated grains led to a decrease in laying performance and an increase in body weight loss. Diets containing fermented grains gave the best results in terms of quantity of amino acids, hen weight maintenance, laying performance, and egg quality. In conclusion, fermented lupin and oats can be used in laying hen diets to partly substitute sources of protein such as soya, but germinated grains cannot.

Study on the changing patterns of production performance of laying hens and their relationships with environmental factors in a large-scale henhouse

The production performance of laying hens is influenced by various environmental factors within the henhouse. The intricate interactions among these factors make the impact process highly complicated. The exact relationships between production performance and environmental variables are still not well understood. In this study, we measured the production performance of laying hens and various environmental variables across different parts of the henhouse, evaluated the weight of each environmental variable, and constructed a laying rate prediction model. Results displayed that body weight, laying rate, egg weight and eggshell thickness of hens decrease gradually from WCA to FA (P < 0.05). Serum levels of FSH and LH, as well as antibody level of H5 Re-13, gradually decrease from WCA to FA (P < 0.05). Moreover, the values for temperature (T), temperature-humidity index (THI), air velocity (AV), carbon dioxide (CO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5) gradually increase from WCA to FA (P < 0.05). Conversely, the relative humidity (RH) value gradually decreases from FA to WCA (P < 0.05). Additionally, the weights of the environmental variables, determined using a combination of the grey relational analysis (GRA) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP), were as follows in descending order: RH, THI, T, light intensity (LI), AV, PM2.5, NH3, and CO2. When the number of decision trees in the laying rate prediction model was set to 2,500, the results displayed a high level of agreement between the model's predictions and the observed outcomes. The model's performance evaluation yielded an R2 value of 0.89995 for the test set, suggesting strong predictive effects. In conclusion, the current study revealed significant differences in both the production performance of laying hens and the environmental variables across different parts of the henhouse. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that different environmental factors have distinct impacts on laying rate, with humidity and temperature identified as the primary factors. Finally, a multi-variable prediction model was constructed, exhibiting high accuracy in predicting laying rate.

Use of non-alkaloid lupine grain of the variety Deko in compound feed for young laying hens

The purpose of the research was to study the use of alkaloid-free lupine grain of the variety Deco in compound feed for young laying hens of the cross Hisex Brown. The studies were carried out under the conditions of enterprises of the Volgograd region on poultry of the highly productive egg-laying сross Hisex Brown. The nutritional value of lupine with diff erent levels of its introduction into compound feed recipes instead of full-fat soy for young egg-laying hens was assessed. The positive eff ect of lupine use on such important animal science and physiological indicators as digestibility and assimilation of nutrients in diets, live weight of young hens, hematological indicators of experimental chickens, and economic eficiency was substantiated. Thus, the digestibility coefficient of dry matter of feed in the control group was 70.96 %, in the 1st experimental group it was 71.87 %, which was by 0.91 abs.% more than in the control group; in the 2nd experimental group it was 72.23 %, which was also higher than the control by 1.27 abs.% and in the 3rd experimental group the studied indicator was 72.07 % and was higher than the control group by 1.11 abs.%. The indicators of total and average daily live weight gain in the experimental groups were higher than in the control group. Thus, in the 1st experimental group these indicators were higher in comparison with the control by 12.5 g and 0.11 g (0.95 %). In the 2nd experimental group these indicators were higher than in the control group by 29.31 g and 0.25 g (2.23 %) and in the 3rd group by 18.38 g and 0.15 g (1.4 %), respectively. The economic efficiency in terms of cost indicators of compound feed for poultry in the control and experimental groups was within the following limits: in the 1st experimental group 857.5 rubles, in the 2nd experimental group 1286.25 rubles, and in the 3rd experimental group 1715.0 rubles.

Low levels of chicken body louse (Menacanthus stramineus) infestations affect chicken welfare in a cage-free housing system

BackgroundThe chicken body louse is an obligate ectoparasite of domestic chickens. Chicken body lice feed on feathers, and infestation with this louse is linked to decreases in egg production, hen weight, and feed conversion efficiency. However, it is unknown how chicken body lice impact egg-laying chickens in cage-free environments. Welfare and behavior metrics were collected from flocks of egg-laying chickens either infested with chicken body lice or left uninfested.MethodsIn two trials, two flocks of cage-free commercial egg-laying chickens were infested with chicken body lice or maintained as uninfested controls. At three timepoints, behavior and welfare of all chickens was measured. On-animal sensors were used to quantify pecking, preening, and dustbathing behavior. Other animal-based welfare metrics included recording comb wounds and skin lesions.ResultsBirds infested with chicken body lice exhibited significantly more preening behaviors than uninfested birds, even at low louse levels. Moderate or severe skin lesions were detected on birds that were moderately infested with chicken body lice while skin lesions were never detected on uninfested birds.ConclusionsThe welfare of chickens was impacted by the chicken body louse, a chewing louse that primarily feather feeds. Evidence of skin lesions on infested birds suggests that lice may cause more damage to birds than previously thought, and further evaluation of louse economic damage is necessary.Graphical

Effects of AM/PM Diets on Laying Performance, Egg Quality, and Nutrient Utilisation in Free-Range Laying Hens

Laying hen nutrient requirements change throughout the day, due to the cyclic nature of egg formation. Generally, more energy and protein are required in the morning when the albumen is deposited around the yolk, and more calcium is required in the evening when the eggshell is formed. The aim of this study was to determine if feeding laying hens diets tailored to their specific nutritional and physiological requirements throughout the day, by feeding higher levels of protein and energy in the morning and higher levels of calcium in the evening, is more beneficial than feeding one diet all day. Hy-Line Brown laying hens (n = 360) were housed in free-range floor pens (18 pens with 20 hens/pen) from 34 to 53 weeks of age (WOA). Half of the birds (n = 180, nine replicate pens) were fed a conventional layer hen diet all day (control) and the remaining birds (n = 180, nine replicate pens) were fed an AM diet from 08:00 h to 16:00 h and PM diet from 16:00 h to 08:00 h (AM/PM). From 39 WOA, hens were given access to an outdoor range from 09:00 h to 18:00 h via pop holes. Egg weight and hen-day egg production were measured daily, and feed consumption and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured weekly. Hen weight and egg size uniformity were determined at 43 and 53 WOA, and egg quality was measured at 53 WOA. A total of 72 hens (4 hens/pen, 36 hens/treatment) were euthanised at 53 WOA to determine ileal apparent energy and nitrogen digestibility. A cost–benefit analysis for the study period, based on feed costs and egg mass, was calculated. Overall, the results showed that the AM/PM treatment increased egg mass by 2.15% (60.4 vs. 59.1 g/hen/day, p = 0.086) and improved feed efficiency by 8.34% (2.231 vs. 2.436 kg feed/kg egg, p = 0.030) compared with the control. A higher yolk colour score was observed in eggs from hens on the AM/PM treatment (p = 0.002), but no other significant effects of the treatments on egg quality were observed. Ileal digestible energy and digestible nitrogen coefficient were lower in hens on the AM/PM treatment compared with the control treatment (both p &lt; 0.001). However, the AM/PM treatment was attributed to a lower feed cost to egg mass compared with the control treatment (p &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, using an AM/PM feeding strategy was found to be economically beneficial.

Optimizing Local Chicken Productivity in a Semi-Intensive System in the Sepakat Jaya Livestock Group, Padang Laweh Village, Kampar District

The productivity of local chickens can be improved through the enhancement of the rearing system, ranging from extensive to intensive management. This research aims to identify the production characteristics of native chickens reared semi-intensively in the Sepakat Jaya Livestock Group, Padang Laweh Village. Ten farmers who raise more than 20 local chickens were selected as respondents for this study. The research was conducted in the form of a survey, with the selection of the location, farmers as respondents, and the use of native chickens as research samples carried out through purposive sampling. The collected data, such as the age at first egg laying, the body weight of the hens at first egg laying, and the weight of the first egg, were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of this study indicate that the production characteristics of local chickens reared semi-intensively in the Sepakat Jaya, Padang Laweh, include age at first egg laying of approximately 178.7 days, a body weight of hens at first egg laying of around 1.46 kg per bird, and a weight of the first egg of about 49.1 grams per egg. This research concludes that semi-intensive rearing can improve the production characteristics of local chickens in the Sepakat Jaya, Padang Laweh.

Improving performance, reproduction, and immunity in laying Japanese quail with algal derivatives

We investigated the effect of the Persian Gulf algae derivatives, namely phycocyanin (PC) and fucoidan (FUC), on the performance, reproductive traits, and immune responses of laying Japanese quails. A completely randomized design was used to distribute 250 six-wk-old Japanese quails with an average body weight of 215 ± 10 g into 5 treatments, 5 replicates, and 10 birds in each replicate over a 5-wk period. Unlike the control groups, the treatment groups received drinking water supplemented with PC and FUC at concentrations of 20 or 40 mg/L, denoted as PC20, PC40, FUC20, and FUC40, respectively, while all birds were provided with identical feed. Supplemental algal derivatives notably improved hen day egg production (HDEP), egg mass, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Incorporating PC and FUC had no significant effect on the weight of males' testes or the weight and length of hens' oviducts. Additionally, the experimental treatments had no impact on the chicks' hatching weight. The supplementation of PC and FUC resulted in increased fertility (P=0.038) and hatchability (P < 0.001) rates, with the exception of fertility in the PC40 group. The effect of the experimental treatments on immune responses was largely not statistically significant, except in the case of ND. Specifically, the experimental treatments resulted in increased (P=0.033) antibody titers against ND when compared to the control group, with the exception of FUC20. Supplemental algal derivatives significantly (P < 0.01) reduced total cholesterol, creatinine, and triglycerides (except in the case of PC20). Overall, these findings underscore the potential of algal derivatives to enhance quail performance, reproductive traits, and immune responses.

The Relationship Between Plumage Color, Genetic Group and Their Interaction on Quail’s Performance

The goal of this study is to identified the relationship between plumage color (white and brown), genetic group (Ukrainian and local) and their interaction on quail’s performance during their growth (1-6 weeks) and production (up to 8 weeks) periods. The study was conducted at Nineveh Research Department/Agricultural Research Office. The results for the growth period demonstrated that the Ukrainian quail was superior to the local quail for each of the characteristics of body weight, weight gain, feed consumption and Feed conversion ratio. The FC and FCR both increased significantly for the brown quail over the white quail for all weeks of the experiment, while the weekly weight gain fluctuated between the two colors. The brown quail also had a significant increase in body weight over the white quail. For the majority of the experiment’s weeks, the brown and white Ukrainian quail outperformed the brown and white local birds in most of the qualities being studied. During the production period, the Ukrainian quail’s FCR (g feed / g egg mass) and age at first egg’s lay were significantly lower than those of the local quail, The Ukrainian quail significantly outweighed the local quail in terms of the hen weight at first egg, first egg weight, the number, and weight of eggs produced during 8 weeks, eggs mass, eggs number/ female, hatching %, fertility %, and the hatching from the fertility %. The characteristics above did not appear to be affected by the white or brown plumage color, in comparison to local white and brown quail, the age at first egg and the FCR (g feed/g egg mass) were significantly lower in Ukrainian white and brown quail. Except for egg weight and food consumption /bird, all of the aforementioned variables were significantly higher in the Ukrainian white and brown quails than in the local white and brown quails.

Effect of dietary energy levels in Hy-Line Brown laying Hens during the last production phase

Diets with 2800 and 2900 kcal of ME/kg was evaluated to determine their effect on weight gain and egg quality parameters at the end of the production cycle in hy-Line Brown hens separated into two weight groups weights: &lt;2200g and&gt; 2200 g. A group of 960 hens with 75 weeks of age was employed distributed in a Random Complete Blocks Design with a bifactorial arrangement. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance and for the comparison of treatment means, the Duncan Significant Minimum Range test was used at a &lt;0.05 and &lt;0.01 probability both for the independent factors and for the bird weight interaction and diet energy level. Data about consumption, egg production, feed conversion and abdominal fat were collected. Egg quality was determined by weight records, albumen height, color, freshness, resistance, and thickness by using the digital method with laser irradiation in the digital Egg Tester DET-600. The results showed effects on hens weight upon consumption and weekly weights, lighter hens consumed less and resulted in lower weekly weights compared to heavier hens (P &lt;0, 01), however, cumulative weight gain was not affected by the hen weight factor and energy level of diets (P&gt; 0, 005). Heavier birds accumulated more abdominal fat at the end of the laying period than the less heavy birds (P &lt;0.01). Egg production and feed conversion did not suffer variations due to the effect of both factors, although egg weight was affected only by bird weight (P &lt;0.01). On the other hand, egg color shows variations depending on the energy level of the diet; while the freshness, resistance and thickness of the egg were not affected by any study factor (P&gt; 0.05). it would be feasible to reduce the energy value of the diet without affecting the productive performance of the birds.

Spatial distribution, movement, body damage, and feather condition of laying hens in a multi-tier system

The welfare and health of laying hens in the multitier system raise concern in public. The flock distributions during feeding time at 51 and 89 wk were studied in a multitier system. Furthermore, the ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (UHF RFID) equipment was used to identify the transition between tiers and time spent in each tier of 48 focal hens (12 hens from each tier-group of the multitier system) at 92 wk of age. The body weight, tibia size (length and width), body damage (comb and rear part), and feather condition (neck, breast, back, tail, cloaca, and wings) of focal hens from different tier-groups were further compared. The results showed that the spatial distribution in flocks changed from top to bottom with increasing age. The hens at 51 wk of age were mainly distributed in the 4th tier (19.6 ± 5.0% in 1st tier, 9.6 ± 1.1% in 2nd tier, 23.6 ± 2.9% in 3rd tier and 47.3 ± 2.6% in 4th tier), and hens at 89 wk of age were mainly distributed in the lower tiers (33.5 ± 1.5% in 1st tier, 31.9 ± 5.1% in 2nd tier, 15.7 ± 3.4% in 3rd tier and 16.6 ± 3.1% in 4th tier). The spatial distribution of hens at 89 wk of age was more even than that at 51 wk of age. At 92 wk of age, the proportion of time spent in original tier of 4 tier-groups was 91.0 ± 5.7%, 51.9 ± 5.7%, 59.0 ± 7.0% and 63.0 ± 6.7%, respectively. Focal hens preferred to stay in the original tier and spent significantly less time in other tiers (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in body weight, body damage score, tibia width and partial feather scores (neck, breast, tail, and cloaca) of focal hens among 4 tier-groups (P > 0.05). However, focal hens from 1st tier had worse feather scores on wings and back, and shorter tibia length compared to other tiers suggesting that there were more lower ranking birds that located in lower tier to avoid competition, but had equal access to resource, which is good for their welfare and health. In summary, the overcrowding situation was improved near the end of the laying cycle in the multitier system, thereby mitigating the potential negative effects to the lower ranking hens and maintain a satisfactory level of welfare and health for laying hens near the end of the laying cycle.

Morphometric and chemical parameters of hen carcasses of ‘Smena 9’ cross raised under different conditions

Changes in live weight, morphology of carcasses, their morphometric parameters, chemical composition of muscles during cage rising (group 1) and ground-grazing raising (group 2) were studied in hens (Smena 9 cross) at the age of 1, 35, 42, 49 and 56 days. Generally accepted research methods were used. The hens were raised under the same conditions. The experiments revealed that chickens had a high growth rate at an early age. At 56-day age, live weight of hen from group 1 was 3438 g, which was 2.69 % less than in group 2, and carcass weight was 2.89 % less (P 0.05). In carcasses of broilers from group 2, weight of muscle tissue was 3.14 % more (P 0.05), however, fat and bones were less by 0.22 and 0.09 %, respectively. Compared to 1-day-old chickens, 56-day-old broilers had increased relative weight: muscle tissue in group 1 and group 2 - by 13.04 and 13.27 %, respectively; fat - by 4.02 and 3.80 %, respectively; while relative bone weight decreased by 16.25 and 16.34 % in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Ground-grazing raising of chickens is not inferior in meat productivity to cage rising. At the same time, veterinary and sanitary indicators differ in the quality of meat.

Fear, anxiety, and production in laying hens with healed keel bone fractures

For laying hens, the immediate aftermath and healing period of a keel fracture (KF) is characterized by reduced ability to perform species-specific behavior, access resources, and pain. However, the longer-term impacts, once the fracture is completely healed, are less clear. As well as acute pain and behavioral changes, a negative experience can shape future responses to putatively threatening stimuli, raising future fear, and anxiety levels during husbandry-related events. We aimed to determine whether hens that had previously sustained keel bone fractures, but were now outside of the peak age range for new fractures, showed higher fear and anxiety levels compared to intact hens. We also determined if healed keel bone fractures were associated with reduced production, changes in behavior and resource use. One hundred and fifty hens with a palpation score of 1 ( "KF") and 150 hens with a palpation score of 0 (keel fracture free, "KFF") were selected from a commercial farm at 63 wk of age and housed in 6 groups (3×KF and 3×KFF). We compared production (hen weight and feed consumption, egg quantity, quality and weight, floor eggs, shell thickness, and weight) and home pen behavior (behaviors and transitional movements) in both groups. Finally, we measured the responses of KF (n=75) and KFF (n=75) during tonic immobility, novel arena, and novel object tests. KF and KFF hens did not differ in their responses to the tonic immobility, novel arena, and novel object tests, nor were there differences between the 2 groups in home pen behavior and transitional movements. KFF birds were lighter and laid eggs with less eggshell membrane compared KF birds, but no differences were found between KF and KFF in any other production measures. We found no evidence that healed KFs were associated with detrimental welfare effects in laying hens, but further work is required to determine the mechanisms and implications of the lower body weight and egg shell membrane.

Dietary inclusion of flaxseed oil, fish oil and their combinations on production performance and egg quality traits in White Leghorn hens

A total of 120, 28-week-old White Leghorn hens were randomly selected to study the effect of dietary inclusion of flaxseed oil (FSO) , fish oil (FO) and their combinations on production performance and egg quality traits in White Leghorn hens and the birds were divided into six treatments that had four replicates of five birds each. The experimental groups were fed with control diet and diet containing 5.0 per cent FSO, 5.0 per cent FO, 2.5 per cent FSO + 2.5 per cent FO, 3.5 per cent FSO + 1.5 per cent FO and 1.5 per cent FSO +3.5 per cent FO. The experiment was conducted from 29 to 40 weeks of age comprising three, 28-day periods. The obtained data on statistical analysis, did not reveal any significant difference in body weight, egg production, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg weight and egg quality traits of White Leghorn hens among all the treatment groups at all the periods of age.

Effects of keel bone deviation on post-peak egg production in a commercial laying hen flock with different breast condition

This study was made to investigate the effects of breast condition and keel bone deviations on post-peak egg production of a commercial laying hen housed in a multi-tier conventional battery cage. The birds divided into two groups according to presence of keel bone deviation at first. Then the birds further divided into two groups according to breast condition as well developed or relatively well developed. The laying hens were kept under identical management conditions for commercial laying hens during the study. Data about daily egg production, feed intake, mortality and egg weight was collected from 62 to 77 weeks of age in the groups. There were no significant effects of keel bone deviation on body weight and egg weight of the layer hens. The initial and final body weight of the birds are significantly different between the breast condition groups (P

Performance of hilly and naked neck hilly chicken at Naikhongchari of Bangladesh

A study was conducted to evaluate the production and hatching performances of hilly chickens and naked neck (NN) hilly chickens at the hilly areas of Naikhongchari regional station research farm of Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI). The experimental chickens were reared in an open-sided poultry house under an intensive management system for a period of 18 month. The birds were allowed to take feed and clean drinking water ad libitum. Data on productive and reproductive performances of hilly and NN hilly chickens were recorded regularly. Result revealed that no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference on body weight of day old, 2nd weeks and 4th weeks of age but significantly (P&lt;0.05) differ on 6th to 12th weeks of age on hilly and NN hilly chicken. Result also showed that average feed intake and mortality percentage at day old to 12th weeks of age were significantly (P&lt;0.05) differ among hilly and NN hilly chicken. It was found that no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference of egg weight and chick weight between hilly and NN hilly chicken but significantly (P&lt;0.05) differed in hatchability percentage. On the other hand, result exhibited that average body weight (ABW) of cock and hen, feed intake and mortality were significantly (P&lt;0.05) differed among hilly and NN hilly chicken. Hen days egg production was significantly (P&lt;0.05) differed between hilly and NN hilly chicken but no significant (P&gt;0.05) difference of average total egg weight and age at first egg. These findings imply that Hilly chicken performance was better than NN hilly chicken in terms of body weight (BW), age at first egg (AFE) and egg production. Both hilly (feathered) and NN hilly chickens need to be conserved and improved further through selective breeding and a better management system.&#x0D; Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 51 (3): 133-137, 2022

The influence of hen size and diet nutrient density in early lay on hen performance, egg quality, and hen health in late lay

The effect of hen size and diet nutrient density during early lay on egg production (EP) at 24 and 69 wk of age (WOA) and late lay egg quality and hen health was evaluated. Based on bodyweight (BW) at 18 WOA ISA Brown hens were assigned as heavier (HW; n = 120) or lighter weight (LW; n =120). Sixty birds from each BW group were fed an early-lay diet of higher nutrient density (HND), or lower nutrient density (LND) between 18 and 24 WOA. From 25 WOA all hens received the same early-lay diet and then from 40 WOA the mid-lay diet. Hen average daily feed intake (ADFI), hen-day EP, egg weight (EW), egg mass (EM), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were assessed at 24 and 69 WOA. Between 66 and 70 WOA eggshell and internal egg quality was evaluated and at 70 WOA BW, liver and bone health were assessed. At 24 WOA BW was highest in HW birds and birds receiving the HND diet (P < 0.01). Concurrently ADFI, and FCR were higher and hen-day EP was lower in HW compared to LW birds (P < 0.05). The HND diet resulted in lower ADFI and FCR at 24 WOA, but higher EW and EM compared to the LND diet (P < 0.01). At 69 WOA HW birds had higher ADFI, EW (P < 0.02) and heavier 70 WOA BW compared to LW hens. The lower FCR of the LW birds at 69 WOA was approaching significance (P = 0.054). Hen weight and diet density did not affect 69 WOA egg production. Between 18 and 69 WOA cumulative FI and EM were higher in HW hens (P < 0.01) than LW hens, as was cumulative FCR (P = 0.053). Hen weight and diet density did not alter 66–70 WOA internal egg quality, but the HND diet generated thicker eggshells and higher eggshell breaking strength (P < 0.05). Seventy WOA liver health, keel curvature and femur breaking strength did not differ. Overall LW hens had lower FCR than HW hens and the early-lay HND diet facilitated improved eggshell integrity during late lay compared to the LND diet.

Safety Evaluation of Porcine Bile Acids in Laying Hens: Effects on Laying Performance, Egg Quality, Blood Parameters, Organ Indexes, and Intestinal Development

Bile acids (BAs) have long been known to facilitate digestion, transport, and absorption of lipids in the small intestine as well as regulate host lipid metabolic homeostasis. However, excessive BAs may lead to long-term damage to tissue. Also, it is unknown whether different levels of porcine BAs supplementation could improve performance, host metabolism, intestinal functions in laying hens. Hence, this study was aimed to investigate the potential effects of BAs addition on laying performance, egg quality, blood parameters, organ indexes, and intestinal histopathology of hens in the late phase. A total of 300 58-week-old Hy-line Gray hens were randomly divided into five groups which fed a basal diet (control) or basal diets supplemented with 60, 300, 600, and 3,000 mg/kg BAs for 56 days. Compared with the control group, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in egg production, egg weight, ADFI, and FCR of hens in 60, 300, 600, and 3,000 mg/kg BAs groups. Dietary 60 mg/kg BAs supplementation resulted in a significant increase (P < 0.05) in egg mass. Meanwhile, no significant differences were observed in egg quality, including eggshell strength, eggshell thickness, albumen height, and Haugh unit among any treatment groups (P > 0.05). Dramatically, dietary 3,000 mg/kg BAs supplement decreased yolk color (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the blood parameters such as WBC, RBC, HGB, HCT, and PLT among any treatments. However, in 3,000 mg/kg BAs group, ovary coefficient was lower than the control (P < 0.05), and serum urea and creatinine were higher than the control (P < 0.05). Also, kidney and oviduct injury appeared in 3,000 mg/kg BAs group. These results indicated that a porcine BAs concentration of 3,000 mg/kg may cause harmful effects while 600 mg/kg was non-deleterious to laying hens after a daily administration for 56 days, namely that dietary supplement of up to 10 times the recommended dose of BAs was safely tolerated by laying hens.

Вплив живої маси та її однорідності до початку фотостимуляції на рівень яєчної продуктивності курей

Goal. To identify the relationship between the live weight of young hens at the beginning of photostimulation, the homogeneity of the population according to this indicator and the subsequent characteristics of egg productivity of hens of the Ukrainian gene pool population Birkivska barvysta. Methods. The experiment was conducted on hens of the Ukrainian gene pool population Birkivska barvysta for 34 weeks. At the age of 17 weeks, the young birds were divided into 3 experimental groups depending on their live weight: light (1.11–1.35 kg), medium (1.36–1.51 kg), and heavyweight group (1.52–1.90 kg). The control group was a mixed group of birds, not divided by live weight (1.06–1.90 kg). Subsequently, the birds were kept within the classification groups and were evaluated according to egg productivity. Results. The distribution of young animals into groups depending on their live weight before the beginning of photostimulation within certain groups contributed to the increase of homogeneity in this indicator by 16.8–24.1%. With further keeping of hens in equilibrium fractions, the best egg-laying rates were found in the light group — 9.1–12.5% higher compared to other groups and 11.4% higher than in the control group. Due to higher egg production, storability (by 1.1–2.5%), and lower feed costs per 10 eggs (by 11.4–13.7%) they fixed for this group the most profit from each laying hen —1.7–2.4 times more than for other groups, and 2.2 times more than for the control. Increase of homogeneity in some groups contributed to the improvement of zootechnical, productive, and economic indicators in general in comparison to the control: safety — by 1.4%, egg production — up to 4, feed conversion — by 3.7, laying hen profit — by 44% (in 1.4 times). Conclusions. The level of realization of the laying potential largely depends on the live weight of young hens at the beginning of photostimulation and homogeneity in this indicator. This is confirmed by the improvement of egg production not only of individual weight groups (up to 12%) but also of the whole herd (up to 4%). An increase of 1.4 times in the income from one laying hen from equilibrium groups compared to the unbalanced livestock population suggests that keeping laying hens in groups according to their live weight is economically viable.

Effect of Temperature and Feeding Time on Shell Thickness

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of ambient temperature (T) and feeding time (FT) on eggshell thickness (ST) and egg weight (EW) of broiler breeder hens. Thirty 44-week-old Ross 308 broiler breeder hens were randomly distributed into six environmentally controlled chambers and kept in individual cages. Three thermal treatments were applied: 20 ºC (T1), cyclic 20-30 ºC (30 °C between 1000 h and 1800 h) (T2), and 30 ºC (T3). Birds received 180 g of commercial breeder food at 0730 h (FT1) or 1530 h (FT2). There were two replications per treatment and egg collection was performed for seven days. The eggs from the birds at T1 and T2 fed at 1530 h (T1FT2 and T2FT2 respectively) were significantly heavier than those laid by hens at the same T when fed in the morning (T1FT1 and T2FT1); eggs from T1FT1 and T2FT1 were heavier than the eggs from T3, but there were no significant differences between them. Both T and FT had significant effects on ST, but no significant interactions were found. Birds fed at 1530 h had the highest ST, whilst birds at T3 showed the lowest. Birds on T2 produced the thickest shells due to a higher ST in birds fed at 1530 h. Birds fed at 1530 h consumed their food between 1800 h and 2030 h, resulting in a higher dietary Ca2 + available during shell mineralization. The effect of FT and biphasic T treatments on ST in feed restricted broiler breeders should be interpreted considering the length of the high T phase to the actual food consumption time.

Vermiculax drug effect on blood parameters, immune response, calcium and phosphorus, and weight of laying hens

This paper presents the experiment on 160 laying hens of the white Leghorn breed divided into 4 groups. Group I (taken as a control group) was given a basic diet (OR). Group II had OR + Vermiculax at a dosage of 30 mg per 1 kg of the laying hen weight. Group III had OR + Vermiculax at a dosage of 37 mg per 1 kg of the laying hen weight. Group IV consumed OR + Vermiculax at a dosage of 44 mg per 1 kg of the laying hen weight. According to the results of the study, we came to the following conclusions. The drug Vermiculax increases the content of erythrocytes (by 21.45%) and hemoglobin (by 4.94%), which indicates the prevention of anemia, increases the index of total protein by 30.57%, calcium by 0.7% and inorganic phosphorus in the blood by 4.16%. Thus, it affects phagocytic processes, increases the immune response and absorption processes; increases the activity of macrophages and affects the process of degranulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils, which in turn increases lysozyme activity by 3.9%. This is a sign of strengthening the natural antibacterial barrier. There is an increase in the retention of calcium in the body by 115.32% and phosphorus by 107.94% (on the 30th day of the study). In addition, increased retention of calcium by 8.3% and phosphorus by 8.5% (on the 180th day of the study) was observed. There is an increase in the deposition of calcium in the body by 132.8% and phosphorus by 133.45% (on the 30th day of the study), and increased retention of calcium by 66.36% and phosphorus by 66.4% (on the 180th day of the study). There is a high dynamic in weight gain by the second month of the study (increased by 21.88%), as well as a decrease in the level of feed consumption per weight gain of 1 kilogram by 13.33%.