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Impacts of Dietary electrolyte balance on egg production, shell quality, hatchability and some physiological parameters of local laying hens reared in moderate weather
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Abstract: An experiment was conducted using a 5 x 2 x 2 factorial design of treatment to investigate the effect of dietary electrolyte balance (DEB) on the performance of Gimmizah laying hens (Egyptian developed strain) reared in moderate weather (house temperature was between 18 and 25C and percent relative humidity was between 50 and 70%). Five DEB levels (150, 175,200,225 and 250 m Eq/kg diet) with two levels of Na (0.16 and 0.18%) and two levels of K (0.80 and 0.90% were investigated. The DEB levels were adjusted using NaCL NaHCO3, KCL, and NH4CI. Two hundred Gimmizah laying hens and one-hundred cocks. the same strain and age of hens. were assigned randomly into 20 dietary treatments.
Each dietary treatment was represented by 10 hens and 5 cocks which were housed and fed in individual cages. The experiment was initiated at 26 weeks of age and terminated at 42 weeks of age. Semen was collected artificially from cocks twice/week every 4 weeks for quality evaluation. At 32 and 38 weeks of age. semen was collected from the cocks and hens were inseminated twice/week with fresh semen of cocks fed on the same diet. Eggs were collected after 3 days of the first insemination for 7 consecutive days and incubated to evaluate fertility and hatchability. Samples of blood were collected at 28. 32. and 38 weeks of age to determine mineral retentions and some other physiological parameters.
Results indicated that increasing DEB from 150 to 250 mEq/kg diet significantly (p< 0.01) increased % egg production. egg weight. egg mass. body weight gain and improved feed conversion ratio. Moreover. eggshell quality as determined by shell weight and shell thickness was significantly improved with increasing DEB level from 150 to 225 mEq/kg diet. whereas interior quality as determined by Haugh units was not affected. Semen quality as determined by ejaculated volume. pH. concentration. motility. and %live of sperms was significantly improved. Consequently. %fertility and %hatchability were improved as DEB was increased from 150 to 225 mEq/kg diet. Also. the weight of hatched chicks was significantly (p< 0.01) increased as a result of increasing egg weight. Blood mineral retentions of Ca. P and Mg were significantly increased whereas CI was decreased with little change in K and Na as DEB was increased from 150 to 250 mEq/kg. Other physiological blood parameters such as pH. Hemoglublin, hematocrit and white cells were also improved.
Nevertheless. increasing DEB level from 225 to 250 mEq/kg either had no further effect or negatively affected the previous production or physiological parameters. Also. increasing Na from 0.16 to 0.18% or K from 0.80 to 0.90% in the diets had no significant impact on most of the previous production and physiological parameters. It is concluded that 225 ml:q/kg diet is the optimal DEB level with Na level of 0.16% and K level of 0.80% for laying hens reared in moderate weather to maxize egg production. Egg shell quality and hatchability .
90%.
Key words: dietary electrolyte balance, Na, K level , laying hens, egg production, egg shell quality, fertility and hatchability.
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| Publication year |
2010
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| Pages |
107-122
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| Availability location |
معهد بحوث الانتاج الحيوانى-شارع نادى الصيد- الدقى- الجيزة
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| Availability number |
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| Organization Name |
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| City |
الاسكندرية
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| serial title |
Egyptian Journal Nutrition and Feeds
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| ISSN |
1110-6360
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| Author(s) from ARC |
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| Agris Categories |
Animal physiology - Nutrition
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AGROVOC
TERMS |
Egg hatchability.
Egg production.
Fertility.
Layer chickens.
Potassium.
Sodium.
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| Proposed Agrovoc |
egg shell quality;dietary electrolyte balance;moderate weather;
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| Publication Type |
Journal
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