article · Poultry Science
This research evaluates the effects of adding exogenous phytase enzyme to diets with varying nonphytate phosphorus levels in aging Hy-Line brown laying hens aged 73 to 80 weeks. Diets with 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30 percent nonphytate phosphorus were tested with or without phytase supplementation at 1,000 FYT per kilogram of feed. Supplementation improved egg production rates across all phosphorus levels and increased eggshell thickness. For hens fed 0.25 and 0.30 percent nonphytate phosphorus diets, the enzyme elevated plasma concentrations of albumin, high-density lipoprotein, phosphorus, calcium, and reproductive hormones including follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, and estradiol-17beta. However, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, egg mass, and internal egg traits such as albumen height and Haugh unit remained unchanged.
As commercial laying hens age, their egg production and shell strength naturally decline. Demonstrating that dietary phytase supplementation can enhance shell thickness, support reproductive hormone levels, and sustain egg output in older hens offers practical feeding strategies to maintain flock productivity and egg quality later into the laying cycle.
The findings are directly applicable to commercial egg producers and poultry feed manufacturers looking to optimise feed formulations for aging flocks. Because the trial tested a commercially available enzyme product at specific dietary concentrations, the approach represents applied and tested research that can be adopted immediately by feed mills to support extended laying cycles.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
The study examined how adding phytase to nonphytate phosphorus (NPP) diets affected performance, egg quality, reproductive hormones, and plasma biochemical indices in 73- to 80-wk-old laying hens. Six treatments with 5 replicates of 18 Hy-Line brown laying hens each were randomly assigned. Three isonitrogenous, isocaloric diets containing consistent calcium levels (3.8%) were formulated to contain 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30% NPP, treated with or without phytase supplementation (1,000 FYT per kg feed, Ronozyme HiPhos-L, Aspergillus oryzae 6-phytase). The results showed that the addition of phytase to the diet containing 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30% NPP increased egg production by 1.50, 1.64, and 0.97%, respectively, and improved eggshell thickness. Also, use of phytase in the diet contain 0.25, and 0.30% NPP increased the plasma concentration of albumin (ALB), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), phosphorus (P), and plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), plasma calcium (Ca), estradiol-17β (E2β), and luteinizing hormone (LH). In contrast, the egg weight, feed intake, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk, and shell color were unaffected. It can be advisable to use phytase supplementation in an elderly laying hen's diet contain 0.25, and 0.30% NPP to improve shell quality and positively impact reproductive hormones leading to the persistence of egg production.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.102895
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
