PERFORMANCE OF AGED LAYING FAYOUMI HENS FED PYRIDOXINE OR FOLIC ACID-SUPPLEMENTED DIETS | ||||
| Fayoum Journal of Agricultural Research and Development | ||||
| Article 1, Volume 23, Issue 1, January 2009, Page 1-11 PDF (380.65 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Research articles. | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/fjard.2009.197010 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Mohamed, S. Bahnas | ||||
| Fac. of Agric., Poultry Production Dept., Fayoum Univ., Fayoum, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| A total number of 144 hens and 12 cocks of 48 wk old from Fayoumi strain were used to determine whether hatchability can be improved by using folic acid or pyridoxine supplementation in diets during the late stages of egg production. Birds were divided into 3 equal groups (48 hens + 4 cocks each) of 12 replicates each. A corn-soybean meal basal experimental layer diet was formulated of being 16.5% CP and 2700 kcal.ME/kg diet. Three dietary treatments were used: unsupplemented corn-soybean meal basal diet; the basal diet supplemented with 1 mg folic acid/kg; and the basal diet supplemented with 6 mg pyridoxine/kg. Response criteria included egg production, egg fertility and hatchability as well as egg quality traits. Weekly data responses were averaged across 4-wk periods and recorded in three grouped time periods over the production periods. The following results were obtained: 1) Feeding pyridoxine-supplemented diet caused the highest egg weight; however, feeding folic acid or pyridoxinesupplemented diets resulted in significantly higher egg number and egg mass and better feed conversion ratio as compared to feeding control diet. 2) Feeding folic acid-supplemented diet caused the highest hatchability % and salable chicks %; however, pyridoxine-supplemented diets caused the highest chick weight. Moreover, feeding folic acid or pyridoxinesupplemented diets resulted in significantly higher fertility % as compared to feeding control diet. 3) Feeding folic acid-supplemented diet caused the highest egg shape index; however, feeding folic acid or pyridoxinesupplemented diets resulted in significantly higher yolk %, shell %, shell thickness and yolk height as compared to feeding control diet. On the other hand, albumin % and albumin height were not significantly affected by different treatments. From the nutritional point of view, under the present experimental conditions, it is advisable to add 1 mg folic acid or 6 mg pyridoxine /kg of aged Fayoumi laying hen diet. Such practice helps in improving laying performance, fertility, hatchability and egg quality and seems to be advantageous in decreasing chick abnormalities. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Egg production; hatchability; hatching parameters; egg quality; Fayoumi hens; pyridoxine; folic acid | ||||
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