Supplemental defatted microalgae affects egg and tissue fatty acid composition differently in laying hens fed diets containing corn and flaxseed oil

Effects of defatted microalgae (DFA) on fatty acid composition of eggs and tissues of hens have not been well studied. This experiment was to determine how low concentrations of supplemental DFA in the presence or absence of flaxseed oil (FO) altered fatty acid profiles of egg yolk, liver, adipose tissue, and plasma of layers. A total of 60 Shaver Leghorn layer hens (individually caged, 20-wk old) were allotted into 6 groups (n = 10) and fed a corn/soybean meal basal diet containing 0, 3, or 5% DFA and 0 (1.5% corn oil, CO) or 1.5% FO for 6 wk. BW, ADFI, egg production rate, and egg component weights were not affected by any of the dietary treatments at various time points, but egg yolk color was changed (P < 0.05) with increasing concentrations of DFA. The concentration of n-3 fatty acids in egg yolk and plasma were elevated by FO up to 9-fold (P < 0.05) starting at wk 1 or 2, and 39 to 83% (P < 0.05) by DFA. Supplemental DFA improved (P < 0.05) n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratios in egg yolk and plasma from 13 to 23 and 7 to 13, respectively, only in hens fed diets without FO. Fatty acid profiles of liver and adipose tissue (at wk 6) displayed responses to supplemental DFA and FO similar to those of egg yolk or plasma. In conclusion, supplemental 3 or 5% DFA caused moderate enrichments of n-3 fatty acids and decreased the n6/n3 fatty acid ratios of egg yolk and tissues in hens fed diets without FO.     

Effect of sweet green pepper on yolk color and performance of laying hens

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of sweet green pepper (SGP) on the performance and egg quality of commercial laying hens. A total of 144 Hy Line W36 egg layers were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 9 replicate groups of 4 hens each. Treatments consisted of the following diets: 1) basal diet (BD), 2) BD + 75 ppm SGP, 3) BD + 125 ppm SGP, 4) BD + 225 ppm SGP. The diets contained 2,730 kcal/kg metabolizable energy and 15.5% crude protein. Egg production and egg quality were monitored for 16 weeks. Feed intake, hen-day egg production, egg mass, and feed conversion per dozen were not significantly affected by the addition of SGP to the diets. The addition of 225 ppm of SGP decreased egg weight. Specific gravity, albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk weight, albumen weight, albumen percentage, and yolk yellowness (b*) were not significantly affected by the addition of SGP. The addition of SGP to the diets increased yolk percentage, yolk color using a Roche fan, and yolk redness (a*). Based on these data, SGP was shown to be a useful feed ingredient for laying hens; it can be included in diets without negative effects on performance and egg quality. However, owing to the depression of egg weight with the inclusion of SGP, it may be of interest to producers and industry to control egg size in old layers and possibly improve shell quality. The addition of SGP to the diets impacted yolk color and may be useful in specialty markets.     

Effects of dietary conjugated linoleic acid and fish oil supplementation on performance and egg quality in laying hens

1. Laying hen performance, yolk fat fatty acid concentrations and firmness of eggs were evaluated with respect to the inclusion in the diet of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and fish oil. 2. Nine diets were arranged factorially, with three levels of supplementation of CLA (1, 3 and 5 g/kg) and fish oil (0, 14 and 20 g/kg). 3. Type of diet did not affect egg production traits. 4. CLA addition increased yolk weight and yolk fat concentrations of CLA, saturated and total long-chain n-3 fatty acids, but decreased those of monounsaturated and total long-chain n-6 fatty acids. 5. Fish oil addition increased long-chain n-3 fatty acids yolk fat concentrations but decreased those of CLA, saturated and long-chain n-6 fatty acids. 6. Effects of CLA addition on yolk fat concentrations of C22:4 n-6 and C20:5 n-3 were greater when no fish oil was added to the diet. 7. CLA supplementation increased linearly yolk moisture and firmness and altered albumen and yolk pH.     

Yeast Culture Supplementation to Laying Hen Diets Containing Soybean Meal or Sunflower Seed Meal and Its Effect on Performance,Egg Quality Traits,and Blood Chemistry

This study was designed to investigate the effects of yeast culture supplementation to laying hen diets containing 2 oilseed meals on performance, egg traits, and some blood parameters. A total of 180 Lohmann Brown laying hens 21 wk of age were allocated to 4 dietary treatments and fed for 16 wk. Two different basal diets were prepared; one contained soybean meal and the other contained sunflower seed meal. Both of the basal diets were supplemented with 0 and 2 g/kg commercial yeast culture product (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Yeast culture supplementation to diets containing either oilseed meal did not significantly affect feed intake, hen-day egg production, feed efficiency, interior and exterior egg quality characteristics, serum levels of total protein, triglyceride, cholesterol, alanine amino transferase, aspartate amino transferase, and alkaline phosphatase. Body weight gain (P < 0.05), egg weight (P < 0.001), and serum uric acid (P < 0.05) were increased with yeast culture supplementation. The reduction in egg yolk cholesterol was significant (P < 0.001) in the groups fed yeast-supplemented diets. The results in this study demonstrated that yeast culture supplementation to the diets containing soybean meal or sunflower seed meal increased egg weight and decreased egg yolk cholesterol without affecting performance and egg traits, but serum uric acid concentration was increased.     

鲜茶叶粉对蛋鸡生产性能、蛋品质、蛋黄脂肪酸水平及经济指标的影响

文章旨在评估日粮添加不同水平的鲜茶叶粉对蛋鸡生产性能、蛋品质及蛋黄脂肪酸水平的影响。试验将672只产蛋性能一致的28周龄海兰褐壳蛋鸡随机分为4组,每组4个重复,每个重复42只。对照组饲喂基础日粮,处理组蛋鸡分别饲喂基础日粮+20（T1）、40（T2）和60?mg/kg（T3）鲜茶叶粉,试验为期6周。结果：与对照组相比,T3组蛋鸡蛋重显著提高6.12%（P＜0.05）。T3和T2组蛋鸡料蛋比较对照组和T1分别显著降低了4.07、6.67%和2.12%、4.77%。T2和T3组蛋壳厚度较对照组分别显著提高了2.06%和2.27%（P＜0.05）。此外,T3组蛋黄颜色a值较对照组和T1组分别显著提高了34.78%和20.16%（P＜0.05）。T3组蛋黄胆固醇含量分别较其他组显著降低了10.90%、7.23%和8.16%（P＜0.05）,而对照组蛋黄硫代巴比妥酸值较处理组分别显著提高了54.91%、59.52%和57.65%（P＜0.05）,而T3组蛋黄C16：1脂肪酸水平较对照组和其他组分别显著降低25.60%、20.05%和24.51%（P＜0.05）。结论：日粮添加60?mg/kg鲜茶叶粉可以显著提高蛋鸡的蛋重、饲料效率和蛋壳厚度,降低蛋黄胆固醇及硫代巴比妥酸值。 [关键词]鲜茶叶粉|蛋鸡|生产性能|蛋品质|脂肪酸     

Laying hen performance,egg quality improved and yolk 5-methyltetrahydrofolate content increased by dietary supplementation of folic acid

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of folic acid (FA) on performance, egg quality and yolk 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) content. A total of 384 Hy-line W36 strain hens from 52 to 58 weeks of age were randomly assigned to 4 groups, and each group received one of following dietary treatments: 0, 5, 10 and 15 mg FA/kg diet. A completely randomized design was used. Egg production percentage, egg mass and egg weight were increased significantly (P < 0.05) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) by increasing FA content in diets. No significant differences were detected among treatments on egg quality except for shell thickness. The dietary supplementations of laying hens diets with FA significantly increased yolk 5-MTHF content (P = 0.02). Overall, these data demonstrate that dietary supplementation with FA raised 5-MTHF content of yolk and productivity of egg production in laying hens.     

Effects of Microbial Phytase Supplementation on Egg Production and Egg Quality in Hy-line Brown Hens During the Late Laying Period

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of microbial phytase on egg production and egg quality in older hens. A total of 216, 63-week-old Hy-line brown laying hens were distributed in a randomized complete design 10-week feeding trial of 3 dietary treatments with 12 replications per treatment and 6 hens per replication. The 3 dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-based diets supplemented with 0% (CON), 0.06% (TRT1), and 0.12% (TRT2) microbial phytase. Significantly higher hen-day egg production was observed in the TRT1 treatment compared to CON (P<0.05), except during the first two weeks of the experiment. During weeks 3, 4, and 9, TRT2 had a greater hen-day egg production percentage than CON (P<0.05). The damaged egg ratio was not affected. The egg quality parameters (e.g., eggshell color, eggshell strength, albumen height, egg weight, and the Haugh unit) were affected by microbial phytase supplementation (P<0.05). However, there were no significant effects on the eggshell thickness and yolk color. In conclusion, microbial phytase supplementation to the diets of older hens could improve production performance, extend the peak laying period, and alter the egg quality parameters.     

Influence of free fatty acid content on the feeding value of yellow grease in finishing diets for feedlot cattle.

Holstein steers (n = 96; 375 kg) were used in a 144-d growth-performance trial to evaluate influence of level (42, 28.5, and 15%) of FFA content on feeding value of yellow grease. Two sources of yellow grease were compared: conventional yellow grease (CYG), containing 15% FFA, and griddle grease (GG), containing 42% FFA. Dietary treatments consisted of an 88% concentrate finishing diet supplemented with either 1) 0% fat, 2) 5% GG, 3) 2.5% GG and 2.5% CYG, or 4) 5% CYG. Fat supplementation increased ADG (11%; P<.05), feed efficiency (9%; P<.05), diet NE (6.4%; P<.05), carcass weight (4%; P<.10), dressing percentage (1%; P<.10), and kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (20%, P<.05). Increasing the FFA in supplemental fat increased (linear effect, P<.10) DM intake, ADG, and feed efficiency and decreased (linear effect, P<.10) retail yield. These improvements in performance were primarily due to increased DM intake. The NEm and NEg values of supplemental fats were not affected by FFA content, averaging 4.98 and 3.85 Mcal/kg, respectively. Treatment effects on characteristics of ruminal and total tract digestion were evaluated using four Holstein steers (180 kg) with cannulas in the rumen and proximal duodenum. Supplemental fat did not influence (P>.10) ruminal or total tract digestion of OM, ADF, starch or N. Postruminal fatty acid digestion was less (P<.10) for fat-supplemented diets than for unsupplemented diets (73.0 vs. 78.6%). The decrease in postruminal fatty acid digestibility with fat supplementation was mainly due to a decreased (16.7%; P<.05) digestibility of C18:0. Postruminal digestibility of the supplemental fat was 68%. There were no treatment effects (P>.10) on ruminal pH. Ruminal biohydrogenation of fatty acids was directly proportional to estimates of methane production. We conclude that the feeding value of conventional yellow grease and griddle grease is similar and that differences in the FFA content of yellow grease will not negatively affect diet acceptability and growth performance of feedlot cattle.     

饲粮缬氨酸水平对蛋鸡生产性能、蛋品质及血清生化指标的影响

本文旨在研究饲粮不同缬氨酸水平对蛋鸡生产性能、蛋品质及血清生化指标的影响,并探讨蛋鸡饲粮中缬氨酸的最适添加量.试验选用720只体重相近的40周龄的海兰褐壳蛋鸡,随机分成5组,每组4个重复,每个重复36只鸡,分别饲喂缬氨酸水平为0.6％、0.7％、0.8％、0.9％、1.0％的饲粮,试验期为56 d.结果表明:1)0.8％水平组料蛋比和1.0％水平组平均日采食量分别最低,与其他各组均差异显著(P＜0.05);各组产蛋率、平均蛋重和日产蛋均重均无显著差异(P＞0.05).2)0.8％水平组蛋壳强度最大,1.0％水平组蛋清蛋白质含量最低,与其他各组均差异显著(P＜0.05)或有显著的趋势(P＜0.10);各组蛋壳厚度、哈夫单位、蛋黄颜色、蛋白高度、蛋黄和蛋清相对重均无显著差异(P＞0.05).3)0.8％水平组血清葡萄糖含量最高,显著高于其他各组(P＜0.05);0.8％水平组血清尿素氮和尿酸含量最低,总氨基酸含量最高,与其他各组均有差异显著的趋势(P＜0.10).4)二次曲线分析表明:当饲粮代谢能为11.31 MJ/kg、粗蛋白质水平为15.81％、赖氨酸水平为0.77％时,以料蛋比为评价指标,产蛋高峰期蛋鸡缬氨酸需要量为0.78％,以蛋壳强度和血清白蛋白含量为评价指标,缬氨酸需要量分别为0.81％和0.75％.由此可知,基础饲粮中添加一定量的缬氨酸可降低产蛋高峰期蛋鸡料蛋比,增强蛋壳强度和提高血清葡萄糖含量.     

Effects of fish oil and conjugated linoleic acids on carnitine homeostasis in laying hens

1. The effects of n?3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) on genes involved in carnitine homeostasis were compared in laying hens. Three groups of laying hens were fed on a control diet or a diet with either 3% of fish oil or CLA for 4 weeks.

2. Feed intake and egg production rate did not differ between the three groups. Diets with fish oil or CLA had only a weak effect on mRNA levels of PPARα target genes (ACO, CPT-I) in the liver and did not influence mRNA concentrations of the most important carnitine transporter OCTN2, enzymes of involved in carnitine synthesis (TMLD, TMABA-DH, BBD) or concentrations of carnitine in plasma, liver and total egg contents.

3. Hens fed the CLA diet had lower concentrations of free and total carnitine in egg yolk but higher concentrations of carnitine in albumen than control hens (P? 4. In conclusion, the study showed that feeding fish oil or CLA causes only a weak activation of PPARα in tissues of laying hens that probably explained the lack of effect on carnitine homeostasis. The results contrast with those in humans and mice that show a significant effect of synthetic PPARα agonists on carnitine homeostasis in humans and mice.     

Effects of supplemental fat on growth performance and quality of beef from steers fed corn finishing diets

To measure the effects of dietary fat on feedlot performance and carcass characteristics, and on beef appearance, moisture binding, shelf life, palatability, and fatty acid content, 126 crossbred beef steers (321.1 +/- 0.57 kg of BW) were allotted to a randomized complete block (3) design with a 3 x 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. The main effects were level of yellow grease (0, 3, or 6%) and alfalfa hay (3.5 or 7%) in corn-based diets containing 15% potato by-product (PB). The added treatment was 6% tallow and 7% alfalfa in a barley-based diet containing 15% PB. Dry matter intake and ADG were not affected by diet; however, G:F and diet NE content increased linearly (P < 0.10) with yellow grease. Kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (2.0 to 2.3 +/- 0.07) and yield grade (2.8 to 3.1 +/- 0.09) increased linearly (P < or = 0.05) with yellow grease. Steers fed corn plus 6% yellow grease had lower (P < 0.05) beef firmness and beef texture scores but greater (P < 0.01) fat color score than those fed barley plus 6% tallow. Moisture retention of beef was not affected by dietary treatment, except purge score during retail storage, which was decreased linearly (P < 0.01) from 2.1 to 1.6 +/- 0.06 by level of yellow grease. Steaks from steers fed barley plus 6% tallow had greater (P < 0.05) shear force than those from steers fed corn plus 6% yellow grease, and beef flavor increased linearly (P < 0.05) from 6.2 to 6.7 +/- 0.11 as the level of yellow grease increased. Level of yellow grease linearly increased (P < 0.01) transvaccenic acid (TVA) by 61% and CLA content of beef by 48%. Beef from steers fed corn plus yellow grease had lower (P < 0.05) palmitoleic and oleic acids and greater (P < 0.05) linoleic, TVA, and CLA than beef from steers fed the barley-tallow diet. Feeding yellow grease increased diet energy content, which increased carcass fatness, and altered beef fatty acid content, which increased beef flavor without affecting moisture retention, shelf life, or cooking properties of the beef. Additionally, beef from steers fed corn plus 6% yellow grease was more tender and had more polyunsaturated fatty acid content and CLA than beef from steers fed barley plus 6% tallow.     

日粮中添加辣诺素对海兰褐蛋鸡产蛋性能和蛋品质的影响

本试验旨在研究日粮中添加辣诺素（辣木和诺丽果的提取物）对蛋鸡生产性能及蛋品质的影响。将产蛋高峰期（22周龄）的海兰褐商品蛋鸡540只随机分为6个处理,每个处理6个重复,每个重复15只鸡。负对照组（NC）饲喂基础日粮,正对照组（PC）饲喂添加50 mg/kg杆菌肽锌的基础日粮,4个试验组分别饲喂添加0.25、0.50、0.75和1.00 g/kg辣诺素（LNS）的基础日粮。试验期24周。结果显示：①日粮处理对蛋鸡试验前期和后期生产性能均无显著影响（P>0.05）,试验后期添加0.50和0.75 g/kg辣诺素有改善料蛋比的趋势（P=0.087）;日粮处理对试验前期和后期鸡蛋蛋形指数、蛋壳强度、蛋壳厚度、蛋黄重和哈氏单位均无显著影响（P>0.05）,但日粮中添加杆菌肽锌和辣诺素有提高蛋壳强度的趋势（P=0.062）,其中以添加0.75g/kg辣诺素组鸡蛋强度最高。②与正、负对照组相比,添加辣诺素显著增加了生蛋黄和熟蛋黄的罗氏蛋黄色比率（P<0.05）,显著降低了蛋黄胆固醇的含量（0.25 LNS组除外）（P<0.05）。③与负对照组相比,添加0.50 g/kg辣诺素显著提高了鸡蛋总黄酮、二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）、卵磷脂、亚麻酸和亚油酸含量（P<0.05）。综合以上试验结果,辣诺素作为饲料添加剂具有提高鸡蛋营养品质的功能,考虑到添加成本,产蛋鸡日粮中添加0.25~0.50 g/kg为宜。     

日粮添加甜菜碱对夏季高温蛋鸡生产性能、蛋品质及血液理化特征的影响

本研究旨在评估夏季高温时日粮添加甜菜碱对蛋鸡生产性能、蛋品质及骨骼和血液理化特性的影响.试验将480只产蛋性能一致的罗曼粉壳蛋鸡随机分为2组,每组240只,每组10个重复(24只/重复).对照组饲喂基础试验日粮,处理组蛋鸡饲喂基础试验日粮+150?mg/kg甜菜碱,试验为期8周.结果:日粮添加150?mg/kg甜菜碱对...     

Egg quality and lipid composition of eggs from hens fed Camelina sativa

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding Camelina sativa to layer birds on egg production, egg quality characteristics, egg lipids, and fatty acid and lipid oxidation products. Fifty-eight-week-old ISA Brown Leghorn laying hens (n = 48) were kept in individual cages and were fed a corn- and soybean meal-based diet with added Camelina meal at 0%, (control), 5%, (CAM5), 10% (CAM10), and 15% (CAM15). The experimental diets were fed for a period of 80 d. Hen-day egg production was lowest for CAM15 (P < 0.05). A significant reduction in yolk weight was observed for CAM10 and CAM15 eggs when compared with control eggs (P < 0.05). Yolk weight, as a percentage of egg weight, was lower for CAM10 and CAM15 eggs, whereas albumen weight, as a percentage of egg weight, was higher in CAM10 and CAM15 eggs than in control eggs (P < 0.05). The yolk:albumen ratio was higher in control eggs than in CAM10 and CAM15 eggs (P < 0.05). Egg total fat content was lowest for CAM15 eggs and was 31.5, 31.9, 30.8, and 29.5 for control, CAM5, CAM10, and CAM15 eggs, respectively (P < 0.05). Total n-3 fatty acids constituted 0.32% in control eggs compared with 2.54, 2.69, and 2.99% in CAM5, CAM10, and CAM15 eggs (P < 0.05). An 8-fold increase in docosahexaenoic acid was observed in CAM15 eggs when compared with control eggs (P < 0.05). The n-6:n-3 ratio was 14.8, 5.6, 4.6, and 4.3 for control, CAM5, CAM10, and CAM15 eggs, respectively (P < 0.05). Total saturated fats were lowest for CAM5 and CAM10 eggs. Eggs from the CAM15 regimen had higher TBA-reactive substance values (P < 0.05) than those from the CAM5, CAM10, or control regimen. Camelina meal could be incorporated into poultry rations as a source of energy, protein, and essential n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. However, inclusion of more than 10% Camelina meal in the hen diet may affect egg lipid quality aspects. Therefore, measures for minimizing lipid peroxidation should be used to enhance egg quality and lipid stability.     

Lipid profile in eggs of Araucana hens compared with Lohmann Selected Leghorn and ISA Brown hens given diets with different fat sources

1. In a cross-over trial, the egg cholesterol and fatty acid composition of Araucana hens was compared with those of two commercial breeds (Lohmann Selected Leghorn and ISA Brown) under two feeding regimes, either high (Hn-3) or low (Ln-3) in long-chain n-3 fatty acids. 2. The Hn-3 diet was formed by isocaloric substitution of animal fat in the control diet (Ln-3) by a dry product containing stabilised fish oil with standardised concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). 3. Both breed and diet had influences on egg composition, without interactions. 4. The Araucana breed showed lower feed intake and lower egg weights than the other two breeds. The yolk weight was similar, leading to a much higher yolk:albumen ratio in the Araucana eggs. 5. In comparison to commercial breeds, Araucanas produced eggs with higher cholesterol content per g of yolk, which was even more pronounced when expressed per g of egg, due to the high yolk content of the eggs. The cholesterol content of an egg remained unchanged by the diet, irrespective of the dietary fat source. 6. Changing to the Hn-3 diet led to greater concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and lower concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) contents in the yolk, without a change in the ratio of saturated (SFA) to unsaturated fatty acids (UFA). 7. Within the PUFA, the n-3 fatty acids increased at the expense of the n-6 fatty acids, indicating a competition between n-3 and n-6 fatty acids for incorporation in the yolk.     

The effects of dietary fat and bird age on the weights of eggs and egg components in the laying hen

1. A low-fat diet or an isoenergetic and isonitrogenous high-fat diet containing 55 g maize oil/kg were fed to laying hens at different stages during the laying year in two experiments. 2. Feeding the high-fat diet to young hens resulted in a rapid increase of 2.5 g in egg weight, made up of increases in both yolk and albumen weights. 3. Switching the diets at 50 weeks caused changes in egg weight that were accounted for entirely by changes in egg albumen weight. 4. Feeding the high-fat diet from 46 weeks in a second experiment increased egg and egg albumen weights by 1.26 and 1.34 g respectively. 5. The increase in egg weight with age was associated with a greater increase in the proportion of yolk, at the expense of albumen, compared to egg weight increases related to dietary fat. 6. It is concluded that dietary fatty acids increase egg weight by a mechanism different from that causing age-related increases in weight and that the mechanism involves a stimulation of oviduct protein synthesis.     

Effect of hens fed dietary flaxseed with and without a fatty liver supplement on hepatic,plasma and production characteristics relevant to fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome in laying hens

1. Two long-term experiments were conducted with Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) hens (line UCD-003) predisposed to fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS). The first investigated the effect of adding a fatty liver supplement to the diet of laying hens prior to the onset of lay, and continuing either until peak production or throughout 39 weeks into lay. The second experiment, lasting 9 months into lay, investigated the effect of adding a fatty liver supplement, with or without 100 g/kg dietary ground flaxseed, to the diet. Body weight, feed intake, plasma triglycerides (in experiment 2) and egg production were measured throughout the experiment. Liver weight, liver fat content, liver malondialdehyde (MDA) content and liver haemorrhage score and fatty acid content of liver fat (in experiment 2) were measured at the end of each experiment. 2. In experiment 1, hens given diets containing the fatty liver supplement had higher egg production and eggshell strength, but there was no difference in liver parameters including MDA content or haemorrhage score compared with controls. 3. At the end of experiment 2, hens on 100 g/kg flaxseed diets had lower body weight, liver weight, liver dry matter and fat content, and plasma triglyceride concentrations than hens given the control diets. 4. Liver haemorrhage score was positively correlated with liver weight, but not with liver fat content, plasma triglyceride concentration or liver MDA content. This suggests that reducing the liver lipid content or feeding fatty liver supplements may not be as effective in controlling FLHS as controlling the size of the liver.     

Effects of phenyllactic acid on production performance,egg quality parameters,and blood characteristics in laying hens

Organic acids have been widely used as feed additives to replace antibiotics in livestock feeds. Data on the use of phenyllactic acid (PLA) are lacking. The effects of PLA on production performance, egg quality parameters, and blood characteristics in laying hens were studied in a 35-d experiment. A total of 240 ISA Brown 36-wk-old layers were divided into the following 4 treatments: 1) control (basal diet), 2) control + 0.1% PLA, 3) control + 0.2% PLA, and 4) control + 0.3% PLA. Although supplementing the diet with PLA did not affect ADFI and FE, it linearly improved egg production rate, eggshell breaking strength, and Haugh units. Egg weight, eggshell thickness, and egg yolk color were not significantly altered by supplementing the diet with PLA. White blood cell, red blood cell, total protein, and albumin concentrations were higher in the control + 0.1% PLA and control treatment groups (P < 0.05), whereas the groups fed the control + 0.2% PLA and control + 0.3% PLA diets had greater (P < 0.05) lymphocyte concentrations. In conclusion, PLA may exert some positive effects to the immune system and egg production over the short term. It may be beneficial to supplement the diets of laying hens with PLA in the absence of antibiotics. This experiment involved a small experimental sample and a short time, so the beneficial effects of PLA should be studied further in commercial farms over the long term.     

亚麻籽和鱼油对蛋鸡蛋黄n-3多不饱和脂肪酸含量与肝脏脂肪酸代谢的影响

本试验旨在研究饲粮中添加亚麻籽和鱼油对蛋鸡蛋黄n-3多不饱和脂肪酸含量、肝脏脂肪酸组成及其合成代谢基因表达的影响。选择28周龄海兰褐壳蛋鸡96只,随机分为4组,每组24只。对照组饲喂基础饲粮,试验组分别在基础饲粮中添加10%亚麻籽、10%亚麻籽+5%鱼油和5%鱼油。饲养21 d后连续收集7 d鸡蛋,然后每组随机选取4只鸡屠宰取样。结果表明,与对照组相比:1)添加亚麻籽和鱼油均显著增加蛋黄中n-3多不饱和脂肪酸含量(P0.05),其中单独添加鱼油的蛋黄中二十二碳六烯酸(DHA)和二十碳五烯酸含量最高;2)试验组肝脏单不饱和脂肪酸比例均显著降低(P0.05),肝脏n-3多不饱和脂肪酸比例均显著增加(P0.05);3)单独添加鱼油显著降低肝脏脂肪酸延长酶1、脂肪酸延长酶2和去饱和酶(脂肪酸去饱和酶1、脂肪酸去饱和酶2和硬脂酰辅酶A去饱和酶1)基因表达水平(P0.05)。由此可见,蛋鸡饲粮中单独添加亚麻籽或鱼油可以富集蛋黄n-3多不饱和脂肪酸沉积;添加亚麻籽促进肝脏α-亚麻酸转化生成DHA过程,表现为上调脂肪酸延长酶和去饱和酶基因表达,添加鱼油显示相反结果。     

The Impact of Yeast Culture Residue on the Suppression of Dietary Aflatoxin on the Performance of Broiler Breeder Hens

A study was conducted to examine the effect of yeast culture residue (YCR) on the suppression of aflatoxicosis in broiler breeder hens. One hundred twenty, 35-wk-old, Cobb broiler breeder hens of the same cross were fed diets supplemented with aflatoxin (AF) (0 or 3 mg/kg) and YCR (0 or 2 lb/ton) singly and combined in a 2 × 2 factorial designed experiment. The birds were randomly assigned to pens with 3 replicates of 10 females and 1 male per treatment. Eggs laid by the hens were collected daily, stored at room temperature, and incubated every 7 d for 3 wk. Response variables analyzed were mean percentage of fertility, hatchability, hen-day egg production, egg weight, chick weight at hatch, and embryonic mortality over the 3-wk treatment period. At the end of 3-wk treatment, blood was collected from the hens and analyzed for total protein, globulin, and albumin. Aflatoxin did not negatively affect fertility. However, hen-day egg production (57.6%), percentage of hatchability (67.6%), embryonic mortality (24%), serum total protein, globulin, and albumin were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by AF. Hatch of fertile eggs from the AF-fed hens was significantly lower than the control (67.6 vs. 78.5%). The inclusion of YCR in the AF-treated diet raised the level of hatchability (74.9 vs. 67.6%), egg production (65.83 vs. 57.26%), and lowered embryonic mortality (16.8 vs. 24%). Serum globulin and albumin were lowered in the AF-fed hens but was partially restored with the addition of YCR. The data demonstrated that YCR may enhance the performance of broiler breeder hens that are provided feed contaminated with AF.