article · Italian Journal of Animal Science
Rearing laying hens under high ambient temperatures often challenges bird health and egg production. Adding the probiotic Bacillus subtilis to poultry feed at rates of up to 400 grammes per tonne shows measurable benefits without harming overall egg production. Tests across White Leghorn, Saudi black, and Saudi brown breeds over a ninety-day trial revealed that supplementation at the highest tested rate significantly increased eggshell thickness and improved breaking strength. The probiotic diet also lowered blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while boosting immune health through higher concentrations of immunoglobulin M. Performance varied across genetic backgrounds, with Saudi black hens achieving greater egg mass and both native Saudi breeds showing stronger immune responses than Leghorns. These findings demonstrate that targeted probiotic feeding can maintain egg quality and bolster bird resilience in hot conditions.
High ambient temperatures frequently impair poultry welfare, shell integrity, and farm profitability. Identifying practical dietary additives helps poultry producers safeguard egg quality and flock immunity during heat stress. Demonstrating that indigenous breeds possess stronger immune profiles and high egg mass also informs breeding programmes and management strategies tailored to hot climates, supporting sustainable food production in regions prone to elevated temperatures.
This work points to practical applications in commercial feed formulation and poultry management for hot climates. Feed manufacturers and egg producers could adopt Bacillus subtilis feed supplements to improve shell strength and bird immunity without disrupting production. As an applied trial evaluating specific dosage levels in laying breeds, the approach is near-market, although wider field testing across diverse commercial farm environments would typically precede broad adoption.
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A two level factorial experiment (3 × 3) was designed to evaluate the effect of dietary inclusion level of probiotic and breed on productive performance, immune status and egg quality characteristics in laying hens reared under high ambient temperature. A total of 216, 32-week-old laying hens representing three different breeds (White Leghorn, Saudi black and Saudi brown) were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments (0, 200 and 400 g/t feed) in a 90-d experiment. The current results indicated that the inclusion of probiotics in layer diets did not appear to cause any adverse effects on egg production traits compared with non-treated hens. Dietary supplementation with probiotics at 400 ppm level significantly (p < .05) increased shell thickness compared to non-treated laying hens. Moreover, an improvement in eggshell quality and breaking strength in hens fed a diet containing probiotics was observed under high ambient temperature. Also, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride were reduced in laying hens fed a diet supplemented with probiotics. Furthermore, probiotic inclusion significantly increased IgM immunoglobulin concentration in laying hens fed a diet containing either 200 or 400 ppm compared with untreated hens. Concerning breed effect, Saudi black laying hens recorded significantly (p < .02) higher egg mass compared with the other breeds. Also, both Saudi chicken breeds exhibited significantly higher cell-mediated response and IgM concentration compared with Leghorn hens.
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DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2018.1425104
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