Effects of feeding corn distiller's dried grains with solubles with and without enzyme cocktail supplementation to laying hens on performance, egg quality, selected manure parameters, and feed cost

An experiment was conducted with 480 Super Nick white-laying hens to evaluate the effects of different inclusion levels of corn distiller's dried grains with solubles (CDDGS) with or without enzyme cocktail supplementation on performance, egg quality, selected manure parameters, and feed cost. The experimental diets consisted of 5 levels of CDDGS: 0 (basal diet), 5, 10, 15 or 20% and two levels of enzyme cocktail (Allzyme® SSF): 0 or 0.02%. Diets containing 0.02% enzyme cocktail were formulated to recoup the enzyme matrix value. Each dietary treatment was assigned to 4 replicate groups of 12 hens (with 3 cages and 4 hens per cage). The experiment lasted 8 weeks. Performance parameters and egg quality were determined every other week, whereas selected manure parameters were measured at the end of the experiment. Feeding up to 15% medium-quality CDDGS with or without enzyme cocktail supplementation had no negative effects on performance parameters (percentage laying rate, egg weight, feed intake and feed conversion) or exterior (eggshell thickness and shell breaking strength) and interior (Haugh units and egg yolk color) egg quality parameters in this study. There was no interaction between the inclusion levels of CDDGS and the supplementation of enzyme cocktail on performance, egg quality or manure parameters. As the level of CDDGS included in the diet increased, the level of dicalcium phosphate gradually decreased, which resulted in a reduction in dietary costs. A significant decrease was observed (P<0.001) in manure total nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels following enzyme cocktail supplementation in comparison to diets without enzyme cocktail. These results indicate that 15% CDDGS can be added to diets of laying hens without compromising performance parameters, and exterior and interior egg quality as long as the nutrient profile of CDDGS is known and the diet is formulated on a digestible amino acid basis. Feed cost can be reduced by supplementing the diets with CDDGS. In addition, using an enzyme cocktail affecting anti-nutritional factors in CDDGS may improve the nutritive value of laying hen diets with CDDGS and lessen the amount of total N and P released in the manure.