Effects of the stem residue on performance, nutrients digestibility and antioxidant activity of laying hens and its effects on egg storage

Objective The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of the Agaricus bisporus stem residue (ABSR) on the performance, nutrients digestibility, antioxidant activity of laying hens, and its effects on egg storage to determine the appropriate dosage of ABSR, so as to provide a scientific basis for the effective utilization of ABSR. Methods A total of 384 53-wk-old Nongda III layers were randomly divided into six treatments, four replicates in each treatment and 16 birds in each replicate. The control treatment was fed with basic diet, while experimental treatments were fed with diets of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% ABSR respectively. The experimental period was 56 d. Results The results showed that compared with the control treatment, ABSR had no significant effect on laying performance (p>0.05). The crude protein and total energy digestibility of experimental treatments was significantly higher than those of control treatment (p< 0.05). When eggs were stored for 1 wk, 2 wk, and 3 wk at 25°C, there were no significant differences in egg storage between the experimental treatments and the control treatment (p>0.05). The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the serum of the experimental treatments were significantly higher than those of the control treatment (p<0.05), and the malonaldehyde (MDA) content did not change dramatically. SOD activity in yolk of experimental treatments was significantly higher than that in control treatment (p<0.05); MDA content in yolk was markedly lower than that in control treatment (p<0.05). The activity of GSH-Px and SOD in yolk of experimental treatments was significantly higher than that of control treatment stored at 25°C for 21 d, and the content of MDA was significantly lower than that of control treatment (p<0.05). Conclusion ABSR can be used to improve the antioxidant activity of laying hens without affecting laying performance.