Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Dietary Supplementation of Saponin and Volatile Fatty Acids on Laying Performance of Hen at Older Age

M. S. Rahman
Department of Poultry Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

M. A. R. Howlider
Department of Poultry Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

M. N. A. Siddiky
SAARC Agriculture Centre, BARC Complex, Farmgate, Dhaka- 1215, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of saponin and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) on laying performance, body composition and egg quality in laying hens. Forty eight 67-week-old laying hens (Shaver 579) were allocated to 4 iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic diets with different levels of saponin and VFAs. The hens were divided into 4 dietary groups with 12 in each. The diets were supplemented with 0% saponin and 0 ppm VFAs (S₁V₁); 0.1% saponin and 0 ppm VFAs (S₂V₁); 0% saponin and 520 ppm VFAs (S₁V₂) and 0.1% saponin and 520 ppm VFAs (S₂V₂). It was found that the supplementation of saponin (S₂V₁) decreased (p<0.05) the body fat of the birds by 16% than that of the control (S₁V₁) group, which did not influence the egg production of the birds. The feeding of S₂V₁ diet also showed a decrease of feed intake and liver size, and a increase of yolk index in the birds. The 520 ppm VFAs supplementation (S₁V₂) increased the egg production (6.52%) and egg mass production (6.66%) in the birds along with improved feed conversion efficiency, higher eggshell thickness and albumen per cent compared to that of the control group. On the other hand, the dietary VFAs supplementation (S₁V₂) had no effect on the weight of egg, but it resulted a higher percentage of jumbo and extra large egg and lower percentage of large and medium sized egg compared to control group. This study suggested that the 520 ppm VFAs supplementation could be used as feed additive to increase the persistence of lay, improve the feed conversion efficiency and egg shell quality in laying hens at late phase of production life.

Keywords: Saponin, Volatile fatty acids, Feed conversion, Egg production, Body fat.

Location: Department of Poultry Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Animal Health and Management

Commodity: Poultry

Objectives:

To study whether the increased fatness reduce the egg production at second half of the laying period, and to know the effects of dietary synthetic saponin and VFAs supplementation on body fatness, laying persistency and egg quality.

Methodology:

Forty eight, 67-week-old healthy Shaver 579 hens were investigated for the effects of saponin, and a mixture of organic acids and short chain VFAs, the ProviMax” on body fatness, egg production and egg quality in laying hens. ProviMax is a combination of fumaric acids, 2% sa lt of organic acids calcium butyrate and calcium propionate, 50% calcium lactate and carrier ‘sepioliite’and corn until 100%. Body weight (initial and final), egg production / day / replication, feed intake, feed conversion, egg mass /bird / day, average egg weight and grades (USDA system), and survivability of the birds were recorded. After completion of the experiment, one bird from each replication was dissected to examine body fatness, weight of heart, liver, gizzard, spleen, and oviduct. The hens were dissected following the procedure of Jones (1984). For egg quality determination, two eggs from each replication were collected at the end of the experimental period. The egg quality parameters such as egg weight, shape index (Reddy et al ., 1979), yolk index (Wesley and Stadelman, 1959), albumen index (Heiman and carver, 1936) and Haugh Unit (Haugh, 1937), shell thickness, % shell, % albumen, and % yolk were determined. All data were subjected to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) of experiment with multiple observations (3 replications per cell). The analysis of variances was done using the MSTAT-C computer package to compare the main and interaction effects of the dietary supplements. The Least Significant Differences (LSD) were used to find out the significant differences ( p < 0.05).

Source of Information: SAARC JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE, Vol. 09, Issue 1, 2011, pp. 95-105, ISSN 1682-8348,SAARC Agricultural Information Centre.

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Supplementation of 0.1% dietary saponin decreased the body fat and liver lipid accumulation without any adverse effect on egg production and feed conversion of commercial layer at later stage of egg production. The decrease of body fat in the hens fed on saponin supplemented diet might not be useful to increase the persistency of egg production at older age. VFAs supplementation up to the level 5 of 20 ppm could be useful as feed additive to improve the persistence of lay, total egg mass production, feed conversion efficiency and egg shell thickness at advanced stage of laying in high yielding strains of chicken.

Knowledge Management: Journal