Effect of Dietary Folic Acid Supplementation to Diets of Low Levels of Energy and Methionine of Developed Laying Hens in Summer Season on Performance, Physiological Status and Immune Response

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of folic acid (FA) supplementation on productive and physiological performance and immune response of laying hens fed diets varying in methionine (M) and metabolizable energy (ME) levels. A total number of two hundred and sixteen of Silver Montazah laying hens (28 weeks old), were randomly divided into 12 treatment groups (18 hens / each). All birds were housed in individual cages. The experimental design was conducted in 2 x 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments, 2 levels of ME (2800 and 2600 Kcal/Kg diet), two levels of DL-methionine (0.40% and 0.30%) and three levels of folic acid (0.0, 10, and 20 mg /kg feed). The results can be summarized as follows:-Increasing ME significantly increased final body weight (P≤0.01), shell thickness (P≤0.01), plasma total protein, globulin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, egg folate content and hatchability of total fertile eggs while, daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were decreased. -Methionine at a level of 0.40% in the diet increased significantly egg number, albumin%, plasma total protein, globulin and HDL. On the other hand daily feed intake, FCR, shell%, egg shape index% and egg specific gravity were significantly decreased.-Significant increases were observed in egg number, shell thickness, plasma total protein, globulin and egg folate content due to increasing FA supplementation in the diet while, Haugh units, plasma albumin and plasma folate recorded significantly their lowest values.-Feeding hens diet with ME of 2800 kcal/kg and a level of 0.40% M without FA supplementation significantly increased albumen % and plasma triglycerides. In this respect, FA supplementation at a level of 10 mg/kg diet significantly increased plasma HDL. On the other side, FA supplementation at a level of 20 mg/kg diet significantly increased body weight change, daily egg mass, shell thickness, plasma total protein, albumin, globulin and significantly improved hatchability of fertile eggs. In addition, antibody titre against NDV recorded the highest value with insignificant difference as compared to other treatments.-Hens fed diet with 2600 kcal/kg ME and a level of 0.30% M without FA supplementation laid eggs with the highest mean of specific gravity while increasing FA to 10 mg/kg decreased plasma HDL. Increasing the supplementation level of FA in the diet significantly increased daily feed intake while, plasma triglycerides was significantly decreased.-A significant increase was observed in Haugh units attributed to feeding hens diet of ME at level of 2600 kcal/kg and 0.40% M without FA supplementation.

Performance of Sinai Laying Hens Fed Tow Levels of Energy in Diets Containing Three Levels of Protein

“…Also the daily protein intake (P≤0.05) and daily energy intake (P<0.01) of the former were significantly higher than those fed the H ME diet. Our results are in accordance with those of Nofal et al (2018), who demonstrated that hens fed on a high-energy diet (2800 ME kcal/kg) were significantly (P≤0.01) increased in FBW and body weight gain than those fed on a low-energy diet (2600 ME 2600 kcal/kg) and they added that hens consumed more feed in response to feeding on the diet containing lower ME content (2600 kcal /kg) than those fed on the diet containing higher ME content (2800 kcal/kg) In harmony with our result, Omara et al (2009), reported that body weight gain for Lohmann Brown hens, were significantly increased as a result of feeding the energy-sufficient diets, than the birds fed diets with lower energy contents. This may be due to the fact low dietary ME levels reduced available energy for fat deposition resulting in decreasing body weight gain.…”

“…However plasma cholesterol was significantly increased in response to feeding on H ME diet compared with those received the low-energy diet. These results consistent with the result of Nofal et al (2018), who indicated that feeding H ME -diet (2800 kcal/kg diet) to laying diets resulted in increasing cholesterol in blood plasma compared with the L ME -diets (2600 kcal/kg diet) but plasma levels of albumin, glucose and activity of AST were not affected.…”

Productive Performance of Silver Montazh Laying Hens Fed Diets Containing Different Levels of Protein and Energy

“…Our results are in line with our previous research (Alderey and El-Weshahy 2019), who found that energy levels had no effect on the characteristics mentioned, with the exception of cholesterol, which increased as diet energy increased, while, AST decreased. Also, Nofal et al (2018) found that feeding energy-diets (2800 kcal/kg diet) to laying diets increased blood plasma cholesterol when compared to low-energy diets (2600 kcal/kg diet), but glucose and albumin levels were unaffected. A similar study (Xin et al, 2022) found no negative impact on serum biochemical levels from lowered CP diets.…”

“…feed intake, protein intake and energy intake of Silver Montazah laying hens. Nofal et al (2018) showed that hens fed a low-energy diet (2600 kcal/kg) had significantly lower FBW and body weight gain than hens fed a diet containing 2800 ME Kcal/kg. As well as hens fed on the diet with higher energy content consumed little feed and FCR was improved compared to low-energy content.…”