Limestone particle size and Aspergillus niger phytase in the diet of older hens

Abstract

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of limestone particle size and phytase (F) on performance, physical egg parameters, mineral digestibility and microbial colonisation in the digestive tract in older hens aged 60-71 weeks. One hundred and sixty Lohmann Brown hens were housed in enriched cages. The 2 Â 2 factorial experiment included two levels of 3-phytase NATUPHOSV R (0 and 350 FTU/kg), two sizes of limestone grain (coarse limestone (CL) and a mix of CL and fine limestone (FL) (1:1)) in mixed feed. All of the diets contained 4.4 g/kg of total phosphorus and 34 g/kg of calcium. Coarse limestone with F addition significantly increased hen-day egg production (p ¼ .018). The phytase supplement at 350 FTU/kg significantly increased shell quality characteristics. Haugh units (p ¼ .039) and albumen index (p ¼ .008) was higher when using the limestone mix, the same applies to yolk index (p ¼ .013). The phytase addition to the mixed feed non-significantly increased calcium and phosphorus digestibility in the ileum by 3.1 and 3.9%, respectively. Intestinal microbiota from each sample did not cluster according to the treatment; however, bacteria belonging to the genera Turicibacter and Lactobacillus occurred with higher frequency in the ileum of hens that were fed mixed feed enriched with phytase. In conclusion, limestone particle size (1 to 2 mm) with F addition at 350 FTU/kg in a wheat-maize-soybean meal-based diet increased egg production while maintaining egg content and eggshell quality in older hens. Ileal microbiota was influenced by F supplementation in the diet. ARTICLE HISTORY

The effects of phytase and xylanase supplementation on performance and egg quality in laying hens

“…Neither the addition of phytase or xylanase had an effect on egg quality parameters which was surprising as previous studies have found that the addition of phytase improves egg quality with regards to egg shell strength and thickness due to an increase in P and Ca availability (Lim et al 2003;Englmaierová et al 2017). The lack of response in the current study may be due to the higher analysed Ca than intended providing the bird with sufficient calcium for eggshell formation and thus improving Ca availability would have no further benefit.…”

Микробиота Кишечника И Продуктивные Каче-Ства Бройлеров При Использовании Фитазы Для По-Вышения Усвояемости Фосфора И Питательных Веществ Из Комбикормов

“…Это объясняют расщеплением фитатов (32), которые не только служат резервуаром фосфора, но и связывают значительную часть микроэлементов, а также белков, углеводов, аминокислот, превращая их в комплексные нерастворимые конгломераты. Как следствие, благодаря фитазе улучшается переваримость протеина и использование аминокислот корма, снижаются эндогенные потери аминокислот (33). Также сообщается об улучшении минерализации костяка цыплят под влиянием фитаз (34)(35)(36), что отмечалось и в наших опытах.…”

Dietary exogenous phytase improve egg quality, reproductive hormones, and prolongs the lifetime of the aging Hy-Line brown laying hens fed nonphytate phosphorus

“…There are different factors involved with the efficacy of phytase in the diet of poultry that depends upon the composition of the diet, dietary mineral content, the source of phytase, genotype, and age of birds ( Abd-Hack et al, 2018 ). Nevertheless, several studies have shown that adding phytase to diets has improved the productive performance and eggshell quality of laying hens from 23 to 28 wk of age ( Liu et al, 2007 ), from 29 to 40 wk of age ( Attia et al, 2010 ; Englmaierova et al, 2015 ), from 40 to 60 wk ( Jalal and Scheideler, 2001 ; Salah et al, 2021) , 60 to 73 wk ( Englmaierová et al, 2017 ; Ren et al, 2020 ), and 68 to 78 wk ( Bello et al, 2020 ; Ren et al, 2023 ).…”