The effect of different dietary levels of hybrid rye and xylanase addition on the performance and egg quality in laying hens

Effects of fermented rapeseed meal on performance, intestinal morphology, the viscosity of intestinal content, phosphorus availability, and egg quality of laying hens

Fermented rapeseed meal has the potential to partial replace soybean meal in feed mixtures for poultry without a negative impact on the health condition and performance of birds. This is due to the fact that the fermentation process can reduce the amount of antinutritional factors, improve the use of nutrients and impart probiotic properties to rapeseed meal. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the effect of fermented rapeseed meal on the performance, egg quality, intestinal morphometry, the viscosity of intestinal content and total phosphorus availability. A total of 108 Lohmann Brown laying hens at 26 wk of age were used in the 90-day study. All hens were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups, with 12 replicates (cages) each, as follows: control group received no rapeseed meal, the URSM group received 3% unfermented rapeseed meal and the FRSM group received 3% fermented rapeseed meal. In the case of performance, egg traits, sensory evaluation of eggs, the viscosity of intestinal content and the availability of total phosphorus, if the distribution was normal, a 1-way analysis of variance was performed. If the distribution was not normal, the Kruskal-Wallis test was performed. In the case of histomorphometric evaluation of the intestine, if the distribution was normal, the Student t test for independent samples was performed. If not, a Mann-Whitney U test was performed. The performed analyses showed that the supplementation of fermented rapeseed meal had no negative effect on the performance of birds and the quality of eggs. Fermented rapeseed meal was also associated with improved histomorphometric parameters of the small intestine compared to the group receiving unfermented rapeseed meal in the feed. Laying hens from FRSM group were characterized by significantly lower viscosity of intestinal content (P < 0.05) compared to URSM group. Phosphorus in FRSM group was significantly more available to the birds (P < 0.05) compared to URSM group. These results suggest that supplementation with fermented rapeseed meal may be beneficial, especially in times of unstable prices of soybean meal and problems with its availability.

Effects of dietary vitamin K3 supplementation on production performance, egg quality, vitamin K-dependent proteins, and antioxidant properties in breeding geese during the laying period

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin K3 (VK3) supplementation on production performance, egg quality, vitamin K-dependent proteins, and antioxidant properties in breeding geese during the laying period. A total of one hundred twenty 82-wk-old Wulong geese with similar body weights were randomly divided into 6 groups with 4 replicates and 5 geese each (1 male and 4 female). The geese in the control group were fed a basal diet, and the geese in the treatment groups were fed diets supplemented with different levels of VK3 (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, and 12.5 mg/kg) for 11 wk. Dietary VK3 supplementation linearly and quadratically increased feed intake, egg mass, egg weight, and egg production (P < 0.05). Increasing VK3 levels linearly and quadratically increased albumen height, shell thickness and Haugh unit of eggs (P < 0.05). VK3 reduced osteocalcin (OC) and uncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) levels in the serum. Dietary VK3 addition linearly decreased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (P < 0.01). There was linear and quadratic effect in the activity of serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) (P < 0.01), and linear effect in serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (P < 0.01). In conclusion, dietary VK3 supplementation enhanced the production performance, egg quality, vitamin K-dependent proteins, and antioxidant properties in breeding geese during the laying period. The optimal dose of dietary VK3 supplementation was 10.0 mg/kg.

Assessing Bone Health Status and Eggshell Quality of Laying Hens at the End of a Production Cycle in Response to Inclusion of a Hybrid Rye to a Wheat-Corn Diet

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether there are negative effects of the partial replacement of white corn with rye along with xylanase supplementation on overall bone quality, eggshell mineralization, and mechanical strength in laying hens. From the 26th week of life, ISA Brown laying hens were fed either a wheat-corn diet or a diet containing 25% rye, with or without xylanase. The experimental period lasted for 25 weeks, until birds reached their 50th week of age, after which bone and eggshell quality indices were assessed. Eggshell thickness and eggshell Ca content of eggs from rye-fed hens were improved by xylanase supplementation. No differences in the mechanical properties of the eggshells were observed between treatments, except for the diet-dependent changes in egg deformation. Rye inclusion had no effect on the mechanical properties of bone. Xylanase supplementation, irrespective of the diet, had a positive effect on bone strength and increased tibia Ca content, as well as the content of several microelements. Hence, hybrid rye combined with wheat can replace 25% of corn in layer diets without compromising shell quality or bone mineral content. Xylanase supplementation in these diets is recommended since its inclusion improves both bone strength and quality.

Natural Products of Plants and Animal Origin Improve Albumen Quality of Chicken Eggs

Albumen quality is recognized as one of the major yardsticks in measuring egg quality. The elasticity of thick albumen, a strong bond in the ovomucin-lysozyme complex, and excellent biological properties are indicators of high-quality albumen. The albumen quality prior to egg storage contribute to enhance egg’s shelf life and economic value. Evidence suggests that albumen quality can deteriorate due to changes in albumen structure, such as the degradation of β-ovomucin subunit and O-glyosidic bonds, the collapse of the ovomucin-lysozyme complex, and a decrease in albumen protein-protein interaction. Using organic minerals, natural plants and animal products with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, high biological value, no residue effect and toxicity risk could improve albumen quality. These natural products (e.g., tea polyphenols, marigold extract, magnolol, essential oils, Upro (small peptide), yeast cell wall, Bacillus species, a purified amino acid from animal blood, and pumpkin seed meal) are bio-fortified into eggs, thus enhancing the biological and technological function of the albumen. Multiple strategies to meeting laying hens’ metabolic requirements and improvement in albumen quality are described in this review, including the use of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, essential oils, prebiotics, probiotics, organic trace elements, and phytogenic as feed additives. From this analysis, natural products can improve animal health and consequently albumen quality. Future research should focus on effects of these natural products in extending shelf life of the albumen during storage and at different storage conditions. Research in that direction may provide insight into albumen quality and its biological value in fresh and stored eggs.

Dietary soluble non-starch polysaccharide level and xylanase influence the gastrointestinal environment and nutrient utilisation in laying hens

1. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of dietary soluble non-starch polysaccharide (sNSP) level and xylanase supplementation on productive performance, viscosity and pH along the gastrointestinal tract in laying hens. Excreta moisture content, ileal and caecal microbiota and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) composition and apparent total tract nutrient utilisation was measured.2. Hyline Brown laying hens (n=144) were housed individually at 25 weeks of age and allocated to one of four wheat-based dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of two levels of sNSP (High 13.40 g/kg or Low 11.22 g/kg), with or without xylanase (0 or 12,000 BXU/kg). Birds were fed the dietary treatments for 56 days.3. Increasing dietary sNSP increased jejunum viscosity, degradability of total NSP, total tract flow of insoluble arabinose, and succinic acid concentration in the caeca (P<0.05). Feeding high sNSP decreased excreta moisture content, total tract energy retention and free oligosaccharide, total tract flow of soluble and insoluble galactose and insoluble rhamnose and fucose, and ileal acetic and lactic acid concentrations (P<0.05), and tended to reduce egg production (P=0.058).4. Supplementation with xylanase resulted in reduced jejunum and ileum viscosity, caecal pH, excreta moisture, flow of soluble arabinose and glucose and insoluble arabinose and xylose, caecal concentration of Lactobacillus sp. and isobutyric and succinic acid, and ileal concentration of Bacillus sp. and total anaerobic bacteria (P<0.05). Xylanase application also increased energy retention and insoluble and total NSP degradation, and caecal abundance of Bifidobacteria sp. and valeric acid (P<0.05).6. These results reiterated the ability of xylanase to improve nutrient digestibility and reduce excreta moisture content in laying hens, and highlighted the importance of considering dietary sNSP level in laying hen diets.

Effect of graded dietary inclusion levels of hybrid rye grain on productive performance, the cost-effectiveness of nutrition and egg quality in laying hens

The study was designed to investigate productivity parameters, egg quality and the cost effectiveness of feeding laying hens with diets where ground wheat was replaced with varying levels of whole hybrid rye grain cv. Brasetto. A total of 396 Hy-Line Brown hens at 34 weeks of age were allocated to three treatment groups with 66 replicates (cages) of two hens each, and were fed isocaloric and isonitrogenous pelleted diets for 12 weeks. The diet for control group hens (R0) did not contain rye grain. In diets for hens from groups R100 and R200, ground wheat grain was partially replaced with whole rye grain at 100 g/kg and 200 g/kg, respectively. Whole intact rye grains were included in the diets. The cost of diets containing 10% and 20% of whole rye grain was by approximately 1.0% and 1.9% lower, respectively, compared with the control diet that contained no rye grain. During the entire 12-week feeding period, dietary treatments had no effect on laying rate (95.64% to 97.07%), egg weight (62.51 g to 62.74 g) or egg mass output (5.04 kg to 5.12 kg per hen). The inclusion of whole rye grain in layer diets caused a linear increase in feed intake (P < 0.047) and tended to linearly increase the feed conversion ratio (FCR, P = 0.078). Both groups of hens fed diets containing whole rye grain were characterized by a linear decrease in the dry matter (DM) content of excreta (P = 0.001). Increased excreta moisture was accompanied by a tendency towards a higher incidence of dirty eggshells in R200 hens (P = 0.068). The inclusion of 100 g/kg of whole rye grain in layer diets decreased the cost of feed per kg of eggs by 1.9%. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on eggshell thickness (0.330 mm - 0.345 mm), albumen quality (Haugh units, 83.46 – 85.84) or yolk color (3.8 - 4.0). The results of this experiment indicate that pre-pellet inclusion of whole rye (at up to 200 g/kg) in diets with supplemental NSP-degrading enzymes and phytase can be an effective and economically viable alternative to ground wheat in pelleted layer diets.

Effect of Rye Grain Derived from Different Cultivars or Maize Grain Use in the Diet on Ruminal Fermentation Parameters and Nutrient Digestibility in Sheep

Six wether sheep with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square to determine the effect of rye grain (from an open-pollinated or a hybrid cultivar) and maize grain from hybrid cultivar inclusion in the diet on ruminal fermentation parameters and nutrient digestion in different gastrointestinal tract compartments. The experimental diets consisted of meadow hay (800 g/day) and a concentrate mixture (300 g/day) that contained rye grain from an openpollinated cultivar (OPRG), rye grain from a hybrid cultivar (HRG), or maize grain from a hybrid cultivar (MG) as a main energy source. Each experimental period lasted 17 days and consisted of 10 days for diet adaptation and 7 days for data and sample collection. Ruminal fermentation (pH, short-chain fatty acids, and ammonia concentration) and nutrient digestion up to the duodenum (in reticulorumen, omasum, and abomasum), in the intestine, as well as in the total digestive tract was investigated. Mean ruminal pH was higher for MG compared to HRG and OPRG (P<0.01) but did not differ between HRG and OPRG (6.45, 6.35, and 6.29 for MG, HRG, and OPRG, respectively). Treatment did not affect short-chain fatty acid concentration in the rumen, except for the molar proportions of valeric acid and of isovaleric acid of the total short-chain fatty acids, which was or tended to be higher (P≤0.06) for MG compared to HRG and OPRG. Less starch was digested in the gastrointestinal tract up to the duodenum and more in the intestine for MG compared to HRG and OPRG (P=0.01); however, total tract nutrient digestibility did not differ between treatments. In conclusion, usage of rye grain in sheep diets resulted in a lower ruminal pH compared to maize grain usage. No differences for ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestion up to the duodenum, in the intestine, as well as in the total digestive tract between rye grain from open-pollinated and hybrid cultivar usage in sheep diets were found.

Dietary supplemental xylooligosaccharide modulates nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota in laying hens

This study was conducted to evaluate the prebiotic effects of dietary xylooligosaccharide (XOS) supplementation on performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota in laying hens. In a 12-wk experiment, a total of 288 Hy-Line Brown layers at 50 wk of age were randomly assigned into 3 dietary treatments supplemented with XOS at 0, 200 or 400 mg/kg. Each treatment had 8 replicates with 12 birds each. Hens fed XOS diets showed a lower feed-to-egg ratio during wk 7 to 12 and a higher egg yolk color value in wk 12 compared with those fed the control diet (P < 0.05). Dietary XOS supplementation improved the apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy and nitrogen at the end of the 12th wk (P < 0.05). In addition, a higher villus height-to-crypt depth ratio of the ileum was observed in XOS-added groups (P < 0.05). The high throughput sequencing analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA revealed that dietary XOS supplementation at 200 mg/kg altered cecal microbiota. Alpha diversity analysis illustrated a higher cecal bacterial richness in birds fed with XOS at 200 mg/kg. The composition of cecal microbiota modulated by the XOS addition was characterized by an increased abundance of Firmicutes along with a reduced abundance of Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, dietary XOS supplementation triggered decreases in Bacteroides and Campylobacter concurrent with increases in Lactobacillus and several short chain fatty acid producers including Desulfovibrio, Faecalitalea, Faecalicoccus, and 5 genera of family Lachnospiraceae. Collectively, dietary XOS addition improved the feed conversion ratio by modulating nutrient digestibility and ileal morphology in laying hens, which could be attributed to the enhancement of bacterial diversity and alteration of microbial composition.

The Effect of Dietary Rye Inclusion and Xylanase Supplementation on Structural Organization of Bone Constitutive Phases in Laying Hens Fed a Wheat-Corn Diet

This study was conducted to examine the effect of dietary rye inclusion and xylanase supplementation on the bone quality of ISA Brown laying hens. Ninety-six laying hens were assigned to four groups: fed with wheat-corn diet or rye-wheat-corn diet (25% of hybrid rye inclusion) or nonsupplemented or supplemented with xylanase (200 mg/kg of feed) for a period of 25 weeks, from the 26th to the 50th week of age. X-ray absorptiometry, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to provide comprehensive information about the structural organization of bone constitutive phases of the tibia mid-diaphysis in hens from all treatment groups. Bone hydroxyapatite size was not affected by diet. Xylanase supplementation influenced the carbonate-to-phosphate ratio and crystallinity index in hens fed with both diets. Xylanase had more pronounced effects on bone mineral density and collagen maturity in hens fed with the rye-wheat-corn diet versus those fed with the wheat-corn diet. The results of this study showed that modern rye varieties, when supplemented with exogenous xylanase, can be introduced to the diet of laying hens without any adverse effects on bone structure.

Selected Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Eggs Laid by Hens Fed Diets with Different Levels of Hybrid Rye

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of dietary hybrid rye on eggs laid by Isa Brown laying hens and their quality, such as physical parameters, nutritional value (basic chemical composition, cholesterol content, fatty acid profile) as well as safety (microbiological purity). A total of 72 Isa Brown hens aged 26 weeks were allocated to 3 groups fed with 0%, 15% and 25% levels of hybrid rye in their diet up to week 50. At week 50, 72 eggs per group were collected for analysis. The 25% rye level had no significant effect on most of the examined physical parameters; however, a tendency to heavier eggs in this group was noted. An increased rye level resulted in lighter yolks with a lowered share of redness and yellowness compared to those obtained from hens fed a control diet. The administration of 25% of rye in the diet influenced the basic chemical composition of the yolks by increasing the water content and reducing the fat content, but with no significant effect on the contents of ash, chlorides and cholesterol. The sum of saturated fatty acids in yolks decreased along with the increase in dietary rye level while the sum of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids increased. Moreover, a lowered ratio of ω-6: ω-3 fatty acids was found with dietary rye level increases.