EFFECT OF DIETARY CHROMUM AND ASCORBIC ACID ON NUTRIENT DIGESTION, HEMATOLOGICAL TRAITS AND EGG QUALITY OF DOKKI4 CHICKENS UNDER WINTER CONDITIONS IN EGYPT | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 6, Volume 34, Issue 12, December 2009, Page 11021-11035 PDF (546.47 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2009.119405 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| R. A. Hassan1; E. M.A. Qota1; Y. Z. Eid2; Nasra B. Awadein1 | ||||
| 1Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, 33516 Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The effect of chromium (Cr) and ascorbic acid (AA) as a dietary supplementation on digestion of nutrients, mineral concentration, egg quality and hematological parameters in laying hens were studied under winter condition (December– February). Total number of 275 (250 hens + 25 cocks) Dokki4 chickens, of 30 weeks old were divided into 5 groups of 5 replicates each (10 hens +1 cock/ replicate). Birds in the 1st group (Cont.+) were kept in controlled normal temperature (CNT,25°C) with 64±2% relative humidity (RH) and fed corn-soybean meal basal diet (16.4% crude protein, 2750 kcal ME/kg diet), without any supplementation. Birds in groups from 2 to 5 were exposed to natural low temperature (NLT, 8-18°C) with 65±2%. These groups were fed either basal diet (Cont.-), or the basal diet supplemented either with either 250 ppm AA, 400 ppb Cr or 250 ppm AA plus 400 ppb Cr. Results obtained showed that except for crude fiber, cold stress impaired nutrient digestibility and mineral retention compared with those of birds exposed to normal ambient temperature. A combination of AA and Cr rather than each alone, provided the better digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract and mineral retention. The highest values of nutrient digestibility and Ca, P, Fe and Zn retention were observed with the combination of AA + Cr group while the lowest values were showed with the control group. It could be concluded that the combination between AA + Cr may improve the retention of nitrogen and mineral retention in laying hens under low ambient temperature. Low temperature decreased yolk weight, shell weight, yolk index, shell thickness and Haugh unit. The results showed that there was no significant (p≤0.05) effect of treatments on blood hemoglobin. The results showed that low temperature decreased total lymphocytes cells while, erthrocytes, leukocytes, heterophil and H/L ratio were increased by cold weather compared to control birds at normal temperature. Lymphocytes cells are significantly higher (p≤0.05) in the group fed the combination of AA and Cr than groups fed AA or Cr alone. However, erthrocytes, leukocytes and heterophil were lower in the groups supplemented with AA and /or Cr than the low temperature control birds (p≤0.05). The results of the present study conclude that a combination of 250 mg of AA and 400 mg of Cr provides the highest positive effect on nutrients digestion, mineral concentration, egg quality and hematological parameters of local laying hens under winter condition in Egypt . | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| chromium; ascorbic acid; cold stress; laying chicken performance | ||||
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