NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR LAYING HENS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES BY REDUCING THE NITROGEN EXCRETION
Keywords:
Castanea sativa, health status, performances, poultry, protein levels, nitrogen balance.
Abstract
This research aimed to assess the impact of incorporating Castanea sativa powder into laying hens diets, examining reduced crude protein levels and their effects on production performance, health status, nutrients and mineral digestibility and environmental pollution by nitrogen (N) excretion and absorption. For that, a 6-week trial was developed, with 90 Lohmann Brown laying hens aged 51 weeks, raised in digestibility cages, divided into three groups with 30 hens each. The diets were composed as follows: a control group fed with 17.50% crude protein (CON), an experimental group with a reduced protein level of 15.50% (RPL), and a similar reduced protein group supplemented with 0.5% Castanea sativa powder (RPCs) as tannin supplement. The limiting amino acids (lysine, methionine, and threonine) were supplemented to maintain constant equal amino acid concentrations in all experimental diets. Throughout the trial, the laying intensity was higher in the RPCs group (94.12%), followed by RLP (93.65%) and CON (91.11%). However, the CON hens yielded heavier eggs compared to RPL and RPCs groups. Average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio showed no significant differences among the groups. Health assessments from blood samples taken at the end of the trial showed a significant effect in monocytes, and uric acid among the groups with tendencies for leucocytes, lymphocytes, heterophiles. Notably, excreted nitrogen levels were significantly reduced (up to 30%) in experimental groups compared with the CON group, showing a promising way of reducing N pollution. On the other hand, the apparent absorption of protein was higher in the groups with lower levels of protein in the diet (RPL and RPCs) compared with CON group.
References
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Saracila, M., Untea, A. E., Varzaru, I., Panaite, T. D., & Vlaicu, P.A. (2023). Comparative effects on using bilberry leaves in broiler diet reared under thermoneutral conditions vs. heat stress on performance, health status and gut microbiota. Life, 14(1), 39.
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Tenesa, M., Loh, T. C., Foo, H. L., Samsudin, A. A., Mohamad, R., & Raha, A. R. (2016). Effects of Feeding Different Levels of Low Crude Protein Diets with Different Levels of Amino Acids Supplementation on Layer Hen Performance. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 39(4).
Untea, A., Criste, R.C., & Vladescu, L. (2012). Development and validation of a microwave digestion–FAAS procedure for Cu, Mn and Zn determination in liver. Revista de Chimie, 63(4), 341-346.
Vlaicu, P. A., Panaite, T. D., & Turcu, R. P. (2021). Enriching laying hens eggs by feeding diets with different fatty acid composition and antioxidants. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 20707.
Vlaicu, P. A., Untea, A. E., Turcu, R. P., Panaite, T. D., & Saracila, M. (2022). Rosehip (Rosa canina L.) Meal as a Natural Antioxidant on Lipid and Protein Quality and Shelf-Life of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Enriched Eggs. Antioxidants, 11(10), 1948.
Vlaicu, P.A., Untea, A.E., Varzaru, I., Saracila, M., & Oancea, A.G. (2023). Designing Nutrition for Health—incorporating dietary by-products into poultry feeds to create functional foods with insights into health benefits, risks, bioactive compounds, food component functionality and safety regulations. Foods, 12(21), 4001.
Wu G, Liu Z, Bryant MM, Roland Sr DA. Performance comparison and nutritional requirements of five commercial layers strains in phase IV. International Journal of Poultry Science 2005b; 4:182-186.
Zaikina, A. S., Buryakov, N. P., Buryakova, M. A., Zagarin, A. Y., Razhev, A. A., & Aleshin, D. E. (2022). Impact of supplementing phytobiotics as a substitute for antibiotics in broiler chicken feed on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and biochemical parameters. Veterinary Sciences, 9(12), 672.
AOAC, B. A. M. (1990). Association of official analytical chemists. Official methods of analysis, 12.
Arsenos, G. (2023). Check for feed additives to ensure sustainability Georgios arsenos and Sotiria vouraki. Sustainable Use of Feed Additives in Livestock: Novel Ways for Animal Production, 3.
Bist, R. B., Subedi, S., Chai, L., & Yang, X. (2023). Ammonia emissions, impacts, and mitigation strategies for poultry production: A critical review. Journal of Environmental Management, 328, 116919.
Brus, M., Dolinšek, J., Cencič, A., & Škorjanc, D. (2013). Effect of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) wood tannins and organic acids on growth performance and faecal microbiota of pigs from 23 to 127 days of age. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 19(4), 841-847.
Buyse, K., Delezie, E., Goethals, L., Van Noten, N., Ducatelle, R., Janssens, G. P., & Lourenço, M. (2021). Chestnut tannins in broiler diets: performance, nutrient digestibility, and meat quality. Poultry science, 100(12), 101479.
Chawley, P., Yadav, K., & Jagadevan, S. (2021). Nitrogenous wastes and its efficient treatment in wastewater. Water Pollution and Management Practices, 147-175.
Choi, J., & Kim, W. K. (2020). Dietary application of tannins as a potential mitigation strategy for current challenges in poultry production: A review. Animals, 10(12), 2389.
Cornescu, G. M., Vlaicu, A. P., Untea, A. E., Panaite, T. D., Oancea, A., & Saracila, M. (2022). The effects of diets incorporating natural source of tannins on laying hens’ production performances and physical parameters of eggs. Archiva Zootechnica, 25(2), 75-85.
Darmawan, A., Hermana, W., Suci, D. M., Mutia, R., Jayanegara, A., & Ozturk, E. (2022). Dietary Phytogenic extracts favorably influence productivity, egg quality, blood constituents, antioxidant and immunological parameters of laying hens: a meta-analysis. Animals, 12(17), 2278.
Desbruslais, A., Wealleans, A., Gonzalez-Sanchez, D., & di Benedetto, M. (2021). Dietary fibre in laying hens: a review of effects on performance, gut health and feather pecking. World's Poultry Science Journal, 77(4), 797-823.
Grantz, D. A., Garner, J. H. B., & Johnson, D. W. (2003). Ecological effects of particulate matter. Environment international, 29(2-3), 213-239.
Gumpha, L. K., Babu, L. K., Kumar, A., Samal, P., & Panda, A. K. (2019). Effect of low protein diets on production performance, egg quality and serum biochemical indices of Vanaraja laying hens. Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, 19(3), 349-359.
Heo, Y. J., Park, J., Kim, Y. B., Kwon, B. Y., Kim, D. H., Song, J. Y., & Lee, K. W. (2023). Effects of dietary protein levels on performance, nitrogen excretion, and odor emission of growing pullets and laying hens. Poultry Science, 102(8), 102798.
Huang, Q., Liu, X., Zhao, G., Hu, T., & Wang, Y. (2018). Potential and challenges of tannins as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics for farm animal production. Animal Nutrition, 4(2), 137-150.
Jacobs, L., Blatchford, R. A., De Jong, I. C., Erasmus, M. A., Levengood, M., Newberry, R. C., ... & Weimer, S. L. (2023). Enhancing their quality of life: environmental enrichment for poultry. Poultry Science, 102(1), 102233.
Keshavarz K. Effects of reducing dietary protein, methionine, choline, folic acid, and vitamin B12 during the late stages of the egg production cycle on performance and eggshell quality. Poultry Science 2003; 82:1407-1414.
Kumar, K., Sinha, R. K., Kumar, S., Nirala, R. K., Kumari, S., & Sahu, S. P. (2022). Significance of tannins as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. Pharm. Innov, 11, 1435-1440.
Latshaw, J. D., & Zhao, L. (2011). Dietary protein effects on hen performance and nitrogen excretion. Poultry Science, 90(1), 99-106.
Lefter, N. A., Gheorghe, A., Habeanu, M., Ciurescu, G., Dumitru, M., Untea, A. E., & Vlaicu, P. A. Assessing the effects of microencapsulated Lactobacillus Salivarius and cowpea seed supplementation on broiler chicken growth and health status. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, 1279819.
Liu Z, Wu G, Bryant MM, Roland Sr DA. Influence of added synthetic lysine in low-protein diets with the methionine plus cysteine to lysine ratio maintained at 0.75 Journal of Applied Poultry Research 2005;14:174-182.
Liu, F. et al. (2023). Future foods: Alternative proteins, food architecture, sustainable packaging, and precision nutrition. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 63(23), 6423-6444.
Nassiri Moghaddam, H., Kazemi Fard, M., Agah, M. J., Hosseini, S. J., & Mirakzehi, M. T. (2012). Effect of different levels of methionine, protein and tallow on the productive performance and egg quality of laying hens in the late-phase production. Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science, 14, 149-158.
Nweze, J. A., Gupta, S., Akor, J., Nwuche, C. O., Nweze, J. E., & Unah, V. U. (2023). Animal Waste: an environmentally sustainable management approach. in climate changes mitigation and sustainable bioenergy harvest through animal waste: Sustainable Environmental Implications of Animal Waste (pp. 1-33). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Ravindran, V., & Abdollahi, M. R. (2017). Advances and future directions in poultry feeding: an overview. Achieving sustainable production of poultry meat Volume 2, 113-130.
Saracila, M., Untea, A. E., Varzaru, I., Panaite, T. D., & Vlaicu, P.A. (2023). Comparative effects on using bilberry leaves in broiler diet reared under thermoneutral conditions vs. heat stress on performance, health status and gut microbiota. Life, 14(1), 39.
Starčević, K., Krstulović, L., Brozić, D., Maurić, M., Stojević, Z., Mikulec, Ž., ... & Mašek, T. (2015). Production performance, meat composition and oxidative susceptibility in broiler chicken fed with different phenolic compounds. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 95(6), 1172-1178.
Tenesa, M., Loh, T. C., Foo, H. L., Samsudin, A. A., Mohamad, R., & Raha, A. R. (2016). Effects of Feeding Different Levels of Low Crude Protein Diets with Different Levels of Amino Acids Supplementation on Layer Hen Performance. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 39(4).
Untea, A., Criste, R.C., & Vladescu, L. (2012). Development and validation of a microwave digestion–FAAS procedure for Cu, Mn and Zn determination in liver. Revista de Chimie, 63(4), 341-346.
Vlaicu, P. A., Panaite, T. D., & Turcu, R. P. (2021). Enriching laying hens eggs by feeding diets with different fatty acid composition and antioxidants. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 20707.
Vlaicu, P. A., Untea, A. E., Turcu, R. P., Panaite, T. D., & Saracila, M. (2022). Rosehip (Rosa canina L.) Meal as a Natural Antioxidant on Lipid and Protein Quality and Shelf-Life of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Enriched Eggs. Antioxidants, 11(10), 1948.
Vlaicu, P.A., Untea, A.E., Varzaru, I., Saracila, M., & Oancea, A.G. (2023). Designing Nutrition for Health—incorporating dietary by-products into poultry feeds to create functional foods with insights into health benefits, risks, bioactive compounds, food component functionality and safety regulations. Foods, 12(21), 4001.
Wu G, Liu Z, Bryant MM, Roland Sr DA. Performance comparison and nutritional requirements of five commercial layers strains in phase IV. International Journal of Poultry Science 2005b; 4:182-186.
Zaikina, A. S., Buryakov, N. P., Buryakova, M. A., Zagarin, A. Y., Razhev, A. A., & Aleshin, D. E. (2022). Impact of supplementing phytobiotics as a substitute for antibiotics in broiler chicken feed on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and biochemical parameters. Veterinary Sciences, 9(12), 672.
Published
2024/10/23
Section
Original research paper