Effects of Dietary Silicate Based Complex Mineral on Performance, Egg Quality and Immunological Competence in Laying Hens
2017
Lim, C.I., Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea | Park, J.E., Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea | Kim, S.E., Davistone, Co., Ltd., Busan, Republic of Korea | Choe, H.S., Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea | Ryu, K.S., Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding with dietary silicate based complex mineral (SCM) on the performance of laying hens. SCM at five levels (0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8%) was added to commercial diets, and fed to four hundred fifty Hy-Line Brown from fifty four to sixty five weeks of age. Egg production increased as the addition of dietary SCM to basal diets increased up to 0.6% (P less than 0.05). Furthermore, Feed intake increased in a manner similar to that of egg production (P less than 0.05). However, there was no difference in feed efficiency among the treatments. Eggshell thickness and breaking strength were significantly higher for the chickens fed with SCM than control from sixty weeks old to the end of experiment (P less than 0.05). Similarly, albumen height and Haugh unit were significantly higher for the chickens fed with SCM compared to those of control group (P less than 0.05). AST of birds fed SCM showed significantly higher than control (P less than 0.05). However, blood neutral fat level tended to increase in SCM treatments. Moreover, bone mineral density increased with SCM addition up to 0.4% (P less than 0.05). IL-2 (Interleukin-2) and IL-6 (Interleukin-6) levels appeared to be improved in the chickens fed with SCM addition diets, although not statistically different from all treatments. The results of this study indicated that the optimum SCM for improving the performance, egg quality and immunological competence of laying hens from 54 to 65 weeks of age was 0.6%.
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