This study investigated the effects of dietary
Enteromorpha
powder supplementation on the productive performance, egg quality, and antioxidant performance of Zi geese during the late laying period. Three hundred twelve Zi geese (1 yr old) were randomly allocated into 2 cohorts to form a control group and an experimental group (with each cohort including 6 replicates and 21 female geese and 5 male geese in each replicate). The control group was fed a basal diet, and the experimental group was fed a diet containing 3%
Enteromorpha
powder. The data showed that
Enteromorpha
powder supplementation significantly improved egg production, laying rate, average daily egg weight (
P
< 0.01), and egg yolk color (
P
< 0.05). Supplementation decreased the ADFI and feed conversion rate (
P
< 0.01). Compared with the control group, glutathione peroxidase (
GSH-Px
) activity was significantly higher in serum and ovary tissue (
P
< 0.05), but GSH-Px activity was lower in liver tissue (
P
< 0.01). Malondialdehyde was reduced in liver and ovary tissue (
P
< 0.05) in the
Enteromorpha
powder supplementation group. Meanwhile, the expression of the
CAT
gene was significantly upregulated in the liver (
P
< 0.01) in the
Enteromorpha
group. These results indicate that dietary
Enteromorpha
powder supplementation improved productive performance and reduced the level of lipid peroxidation in Zi geese during the late laying period.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Enteromorpha powder supplementation on reproduction-related hormones and genes in the late laying period of Zi geese. Methods: A total of 312 (1-year-old) Zi geese with similar laying rate were randomly divided into 2 groups with 6 replicates each, each with 21 female geese and 5 male geese. The control group was fed with a basal diet and the test group was fed with a diet containing 3% Enteromorpha powder. The test period lasted for 7 weeks. Results: Our results showed that the laying rate was improved in the test group at each week of trial (P<0.01), and the levels of Estradiol (E2) in serum and Prolactin (PRL) in ovary were increased compared with the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on above results, Enteromorpha powder supplementation at 3% could promote reproductive performance during the late laying period of Zi geese.
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