Performance and Egg Quality of Laying Hens Fed Diets Containing Raw, Hydrobarothermally-Treated and Fermented Rapeseed Cake

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate how raw rapeseed cake (RRC), hydrobarothermally-treated rapeseed cake (HRC) and fermented rapeseed cake (FRC) fed to laying hens over a period of 12 weeks affected their performance, and the quality, fatty acid (FA) profile and oxidative stability of eggs. A total of 304 Hy-Line Brown laying hens at 36 weeks of age were distributed in a completely randomized design to four treatment groups with 38 replicates per treatment and two hens per replicate. The birds had ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the study. During the experiment, the birds were fed isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets in mash form, with various protein sources. In the control group (C), soybean meal (SBM) was the main source of dietary protein, whereas the experimental groups were fed diets containing 20% of RRC, HRC or FRC. Hydrobarothermal treatment and fermentation decreased the glucosinolate (GLS) content of RC, and fermentation reduced the concentration of phytate phosphorus (PP). In comparison with the RRC group, layers from the HRC and FRC groups were characterized by higher laying performance, comparable with that in group C. Irrespective of its physical form, RC added to layer diets adversely affected eggshell quality in all experimental groups, whereas albumen quality was highest in the FRC group. In comparison with group C, diets containing RRC, HRC and HRC led to a significant decrease in the content of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), an increase in the proportion of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the total FA pool in egg yolks, and a decrease in the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio. The inclusion of RRC, HRC and FRC in layer diets decreased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in egg yolks, relative to group C. Group FCR eggs were characterized by the highest activity of catalase (CAT) and the lowest lipid peroxides LOOH concentration, compared with the remaining groups. The addition of RC to layer diets did not compromise the sensory quality of eggs, and eggs produced in group FRC received the highest overall score. It can be concluded that the inclusion of 20% RRC, HRC and FRC in layer diets does not compromise the sensory quality of eggs and has a beneficial influence on the FA profile and antioxidant potential of egg yolks. The use of FRC is recommended because it contributes to the highest laying performance, superior albumen quality and the highest sensory quality of eggs, relative to RRC and HRC.

The effect of raw, hydrobarothermally treated and fermented rapeseed cake on plasma biochemical parameters, total tract digestibility and gut function in laying hens

“…The effect of hydrobarothermal treatment and fermentation on the nutrient content of RC was partially described in our previous study (Kopacz et al, 2021), which demonstrated that the content of essential nutrients in RC was not affected by hydrobarothermal treatment or fermentation. However, the present study revealed that the applied processing methods affected the content of ANFs in RC.…”

“…A decrease in the concentration of progoitrin is particularly important since the product of its degradation -goitrin can impair iodine metabolism in the body, leading to the deregulation of thyroid peroxidase and an enlargement of the thyroid gland (Keum et al, 2004). The beneficial influence of fermentation on the nutritional value of RC has been discussed in our previous articles (Drażbo et al, 2018;Kopacz et al, 2021).…”

“…Previous research has demonstrated that hydrothermally treated and fermented feed components have positive effects on the gastrointestinal function and performance of slaughter poultry (Chiang et al, 2010;Ahmed et al, 2014;Drażbo et al, 2018). Our previous study has shown that hydrobarothermally treated and fermented RC can be valuable components of layer diets because they do not compromise laying performance (Kopacz et al, 2021). However, as already mentioned, there is a general scarcity of published studies investigating the efficacy of processed RC in poultry, with particular emphasis on laying hens.…”

“…In recent years, rapeseed oil by-products, such as rapeseed meal and rapeseed cake (RC), have been fed to ruminants as well as monogastric animals, including laying hens. In comparison with rapeseed meal, RC has a higher concentration of metabolizable energy, and it contains up to 400 g/kg crude protein (CP) and high amounts of natural antioxidants (Smulikowska et al, 2006;Jakobsen et al, 2015;Kopacz et al, 2021). However, wider use of RC in poultry diets is limited due to the presence of high concentrations of antinutritional factors (ANFs) such as glucosinolates (GLS), phytic acid, sinapine, fiber and tannins (Chibowska et al, 2000;Kocher et al, 2000).…”

Effects of fermented rapeseed meal on performance, intestinal morphology, the viscosity of intestinal content, phosphorus availability, and egg quality of laying hens

“…Nonstarch polysaccharides increase the viscosity of the chyme, limiting the use of feed ingredients. Phytic acid forms complexes with minerals, reducing their bioavailability, while sinapine may be related to the appearance of a fishy egg taint in brown lines of laying hens ( Khajali and Slominski, 2012 ; Drażbo et al, 2019 ; Kopacz et al, 2021 ).…”