Supplementation of a corn-soybean meal diet with manganese, copper, and zinc from organic or inorganic sources improves eggshell quality in aged laying hens

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects on eggshell quality of supplementing the diet of laying hens with a combination of Zn, Mn, and Cu from organic or inorganic sources. Three groups of hens, aged 32, 60, and 69 wk were fed a corn-soybean basal diet containing 32.6 mg/kg Zn, 24.7 mg/kg Mn, and 4.95 mg/kg Cu or a basal diet supplemented with 30-30-5 and 60-60-10 mg/kg of Zn, Mn, and Cu, respectively. Addition of Zn, Mn, and Cu in combination increased their concentrations in egg yolk and slightly decreased egg weight during some sampling from aged hens. The Zn, Cu, and Mn dietary supplementation did not affect the following measures of eggshell quality: percentage eggshell, eggshell index (shell weight per unit surface area), and eggshell stiffness. However, there was a small increase in elastic modulus of the eggs from one group of the older hens due to supplementation with Zn, Mn, and Cu. More consistently we observed improved breaking strength and fracture toughness (resistance to fracture) in the two oldest groups of hens at 1, 5, and 9 wk after introduction of the experimental diets. The effect was observed regardless of the source of trace elements.

Effect of organic mineral supplementation on the egg quality of semi-heavy layers in their second cycle of lay

“…The results obtained in the present study are consistent with the findings of Scatolini (2007), Albuquerque (2004), Sechinato (2003), and Mabe et al (2003), who used diets supplemented with individual and/or associated organic trace minerals and inorganic trace minerals and did not observed any treatment effect on external egg quality.…”

“…The observed yolk mineral concentration (Table 5) was higher as compared to some literature studies (Kuit, 1984;Mabe et al, 2003) possibly as a function of bird age and strain in the present study. Faria et al (2007) observed that the concentration of solids in the yolk was influenced by strain, with higher values obtained with brown layers.…”

“…Both large and trace minerals added to poultry diets traditionally derive from inorganic sources, such as oxides, sulfates, chlorides, carbonates, and phosphates. In practice, excessive levels of minerals, such as Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn, have been used to prevent deficiencies (Bertechini, 2003) caused by possible interactions among these minerals and other dietary components, rendering them unavailable to the bird's digestive system (Mabe et al, 2003). Organic trace minerals are compounds consisting of metal ions bound to organic substances, including amino acids, peptides, or polysaccharide complexes, providing these ions with high biological availability, stability, and solubility (Vieira, 2004).…”

Effects of Inclusion of Selenium-Enriched Yeast in the Diet of Laying Hens on Performance, Eggshell Quality, and Selenium Tissue Deposition

“…Shell weight (g) was measured after washing the shells and drying them overnight at 80°C. Eggshell percentage, eggshell index, and egg surface area were calculated as described by Mabe et al (2003). Eggshell thickness (without shell membranes) was measured at 3 positions (top, middle and bottom) using a micrometer (Digimatic 0-25 mm 0.001 mm, Mitutoyo Corp., Kanagawa, Japan).…”

“…Static stiffness was calculated as a linear slope of the force deformation curve resulting from the load applied up to 10 N at a compression speed of 5 mm/min on the equator of each egg. The elastic modulus (N/mm 2 ) and fracture toughness (N/mm 3/2 ) of each egg were estimated using formulae developed by Bain (1990) and described by Mabe et al (2003).…”