The effects of dietary supplementation of a commercial probiotic (BioPlus 2B) on daily feed consumption, egg yield, egg weight, specific gravity, body weight, feed conversion ratio, serum and egg yolk cholesterol, and serum trigylceride in layer hens were investigated. In 12 replicates, 480 27-week-old Brown-Nick layers were fed with diets containing 0, 250, 500 or 750 mg kg(-1) probiotic for 90 days. When compared with the controls, supplementation of 250, 500 and 750 mg kg(-1) probiotic increased egg production, but decreased the damaged egg ratio (p < 0.05), egg yolk cholesterol and serum cholesterol (p < 0.001) levels. In addition, serum triglyceride levels were reduced by using 500 and 750 mg kg(-1) probiotic supplementation (p < 0.001). Feed conversion ratios were positively affected by supplementation of 250 and 500 mg kg(-1) probiotic compared with controls (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the control and all treatment groups on feed consumption, egg weight, specific gravity, body weight, and egg yolk weight.

1. The effects of dietary supplementation of a commercial probiotic (Protexin) on daily feed consumption, egg yield, egg weight, food conversion ratio and humoral immune response in layer hens were investigated. In 7 replicates, a total of 280 40-week-old layers were given diets containing either 0, 250, 500 or 750 parts per million (ppm) for 90 d. 2. When compared with the controls, the food consumption, food conversion ratio and the proportions of damaged eggs were lower in the group consuming 500 ppm probiotic (P<0.05). 3. There was no significant difference between the controls and the groups receiving 250 and 750 ppm probiotic in food consumption, food conversion ratio and proportion of damaged eggs. Similarly, the egg yield, egg weight, specific gravity, and peripheral immune response showed no statistically significant differences between the groups.

1. This experiment was carried out to determine the effects of diets supplemented with different amounts of copper on egg production, food intake, food conversion ratio, egg weight, damaged egg ratio, specific gravity, mortality and cholesterol concentration in yolk. The experiment lasted 90 d and 400 Hisex-Brown hens, aged 27 weeks at the start of the study, were used. 2. There were no statistically significant effects of supplementary copper on egg production, food intake or food conversion efficiency. 3. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of damaged eggs, egg weight, specific gravity and live weight. 4. At the end of the experiment, the lowest yolk cholesterol concentrations were obtained in the 150 kg/kg copper group and the greatest concentrations were in the control group. 5. Consequently, the use of supplementary copper to provide 150 kg/kg in poultry diets was concluded to decrease yolk cholesterol concentrations without any effect on production performance.

This research was conducted to determine the impact of diet supplementation with yeast cell walls (YCW) and Yucca schidigera extract (YE) on performance, egg weight, specific gravity, body weight, and intestinal tissue histology in layer hens. White, 48-week-old, Hyline hybrid hens (n=320) were divided into four main groups, each comprising eight groups of 10 hens: (1) control, (2) 500 mg/kg YCW added, (3) 500 mg/kg YE added and (4) 250 mg/kg YE plus 2500 mg/kg YCW added. While the egg production and feed intake of the hens was significantly affected, overall feed efficiency, damaged-egg ratio, dirty-egg ratio, egg weight and specific gravity did not differ between the control group and the YCW, YE or YCW+YE groups. Final body weight was higher in the YCW, YE and YCW+YE groups than in the control group. There were differences in the width, muscle layer thickness and height/crypt depth ratio of the duodenal villus and the width of the ileal villus among the four groups. It can be concluded that YCW and YCW+YE supplementation for layer hens are beneficial for egg production.

1. This research was conducted to determine the effect of diet supplementation with Echinacea extract (cichoric acid) on the growth performance, antibody titres and intestinal tissue histology of layer chicks. 2. White, 1-d-old, Hy-Line hybrid chicks (n = 540) were divided into three treatments, each consisting of 6 groups of 30 chicks (n = 180): (1) control; (2) 2·5 mg/kg cichoric-acid-fed; and (3) 5 mg/kg cichoric-acid-fed. The trial lasted 60 d. 3. While the growth performance of the chicks was depressed between d 1 and 45, it was found to improve between d 45 and 60. 4. Feed consumption was lower in both of the cichoric-acid-fed groups than in the control group between d 1-15 and 15-30, but was higher between d 30 and 45. Overall, mean feed consumption did not differ between the control and cichoric-acid-fed groups during the 60 d study period. 5. During the 60 d evaluation period, live weight gain, feed utilisation rate and final live weight were higher in the control group than in both of the cichoric-acid-fed groups. 6. Antibody titres against infectious bronchitis and infectious bursal disease did not differ between the three groups, but those for Newcastle disease were higher in the 2·5 mg/kg cichoric-acid-fed group than in the control group after 45 d. 7. Height and width of the jejunal villus and the thickness of the muscle layer were lower in the 5 mg/kg cichoric-acid-fed group than in both the control and the 2·5 mg/kg cichoric-acid-fed groups. The height of the ileal villus was also lower in the 5 mg/kg cichoric-acid-fed group than in the other two groups. 8. Echinacea extract supplementation for layer chicks appears not to benefit growth performance and intestinal histology during the growing period.

This research was conducted to determine the impact of diet supplementation with yeast cell walls and Yucca schidigera extract on the growth performance, antibody titres, and intestinal tissue histology of layer chicks. White, 1-d-old, Hy-Line hybrid chicks (n = 840) were divided into 4 main groups, each comprising 7 replicates of 30 chicks (n = 210): (1) control; (2) 1000 mg/kg yeast cell walls (YCW) added; (3) 1000 mg/kg Yucca schidigera extract (YE) added; and (4) 500 mg/kg YE + 500 mg/kg YCW added. The trial lasted 60 d. Daily weight gain of the chicks was positively affected between d 45-60 in the YE and YCW + YE groups compared with the control group. Overall, feed consumption did not differ between the control and YCW, YE, YCW + YE groups during the 60 d study period. Feed efficiency was better in the YE and YCW + YE groups than in the control group between d 1-60. During the 60 d evaluation period, live weight gain, and final live weight were higher in YE and YCW + YE groups than in the control group. Antibody titres against infectious bronchitis and infectious bursal disease did not differ among the 4 treatments, but those for Newcastle disease were higher in the YE + YCW groups than in the control, YCW and YE groups on d 45. There were differences in intestinal histomorphometry between the 4 treatments. The height of the jejunal and ileal villi was greater in the YE and YCW + YE groups than in the control and YCW groups. It can be concluded that YCW and YE supplementation for layer chicks is beneficial for growth performance and intestinal histology during the 1-60 d growing period.

SummaryIn a 4×3 factorial experiment, six hundred 31-week-old laying hens were fed diets containing 0, 25, 50 and 100 g/kg linseed with control, 0.3 mg/kg organic selenium (OrSe) and 0.3 mg/kg inorganic selenium (InSe) to determine the effects of diet on performance, eggshell parameters, egg fatty acid composition and selenium (Se) content of eggs. Laying hens were randomly assigned to 12 experimental groups with 5 replications. Linseed supplementation decreased egg production (d 1-30), feed consumption (d 1-30 and 1-90) and egg weight (d 60-90 and 1-90). Shell weight and thickness decreased when dietary linseed was increased. There were interactions between Se and linseed in feed consumption, feed efficiency, damaged egg ratio and shell thickness. The inclusion of InSe and OrSe increased the Se content of the eggs. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), α-linolenic acid (ALA) and n-3 fatty acid concentrations in egg yolks increased with increasing dietary linseed. There were also interactions between linseed and Se in ALA and n-3 fatty acid concentrations. In conclusion, the addition of linseed to the diets increased DHA, EPA, ALA and n-3 fatty acid concentrations in egg yolks, and the addition of Se increased the Se content of the eggs. Egg fatty acids (ALA, n-3 fatty acid) were increased by supplementing dietary linseed with OrSe. Keywords: Egg, Linseed, n-3 fatty acid composition, Performance, Selenium Yumurtacı Tavuk Rasyonlarına Keten Tohumu ve Selenyum İlavesinin Performans, Yumurta Yağ Asidi Kompozisyonu ve Selenyum İçeriğine EtkisiÖzet Dizaynı 4×3 faktöriyel olarak yapılan bu çalışma, 31 haftalık yaşta 600 adet yumurtacı tavuk rasyonlarına 0, 25, 50 ve 100 g/kg keten tohumu ile birlikte kontrol, 0.3 mg/kg organik selenyum (OrSe) ve 0.3 mg/kg inorganik selenyum (InSe) ilave edilmesinin performans, yumurta kabuğu parametreleri, yumurta yağ asidi kompozisyonları ve yumurta selenyum (Se) içeriğine etkilerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapıldı. Yumurtacı tavuklar rastgele herbiri 5 alt grup içeren 12 gruba ayrıldı. Keten tohumu ilavesi yumurta verimini (1-30 gün), yem tüketimini (1-30 ve 1-90 gün) ve yumurta ağırlığını (60-90 ve 1-90 gün) düşürmüştür. Yumurta kabuk ağırlığı ve kalınlığı rasyona keten tohumu ilavesiyle birlikte azalmıştır. Yem tüketimi, yemden yararlanma, hasarlı yumurta oranı ve yumurta kabuk kalınlığında Se ve keten tohumu arasında intereaksiyon bulunmuştur. InSe ve OrSe ilavesi yumurta selenyum içeriklerini arttırmıştır. Yumurta sarısında dokosaheksaenoik asit (DHA) ve eikosapentaenoik asit (EPA), α-linolenik asit (ALA) ve n-3 yağ asidi konsantrasyonları rasyona keten tohumu ilavesiyle artmıştır. ALA ve n-3 yağ asidi konsantrasyonlarında keten tohumu ve Se arasında interaksiyon bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak rasyonlara keten tohumu ilavesi yumurta sarısında DHA, EPA, ALA ve n-3 yağ asidi konsantrasyonlarını, Se ilavesi ise yumurta Se içeriğini arttırmıştır. Yumurta yağ asitleri (ALA, n-3 yağ asitleri) rasyona keten tohumu ile birlikte OrSe ilave edilmesiyle birlikte artmıştır.

This study was carried out with 656 Hysex-Brown layer hen with 58 weeks old. 2 x 4 Multifactorial test setup was used. Egg production, daily feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, damaged egg ratio, body weight and specific gravity datas were examined in laying hens fed at different times and raised at different stocking density. Hens placed in cages as 412.5 and 495 cm 2 /hen and formed 8 groups and feeds were given at 06:00, 9:30, 06:00-06:30 and 09:30-13:30h. The trial was continued for 60 days. At the end of the experiment, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of egg production, daily feed consumption and feed conversion ratio (P<0.05), and there was no difference in egg weight, damaged egg ratio, body weight and specific gravity (P>0.05). It was determined that egg production was the highest and feed consumption and feed conversion ratio was the lowest in groups with a frequency of 495 cm 2 /chicken and fed at one time at 09:30h. Egg production was the lowest and feed conversion ratio was highest in groups with a frequency of 412.5 cm 2 /hen and fed at 09:30-13:30h. It was also determined that feeding two times at 06:00h and 06:30h increased the feed consumption, but feeding one time at 09:30h decreased the feed consumption.