Effects of relative humidity on physiology and behavior of laying hens exposed to high ambient temperatures.

This study investigated how different relative humidity (RH) would impact behavior and physiology of laying hens. One hundred-eighty laying hens (Hy-Line Brown), aged 68-week-old (1,908 ± 78 g), were exposed to daily ambient temperatures of 30 °C with RH set at 25% (RH25), 50% (RH50), or 75% (RH75) for 12 h a day (9:00 am to 9:00 pm) from 70 to 74 weeks of age. All hens had been raised at 24 °C and 50% RH during 2-week adaptation period.

Nutritional and physiological responses to dietary phosphorus levels and phytase in pullets and laying hens.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary available phosphorus (P) levels and dietary phytase added into the very low-P diet on the performance, mineral balance, odor emission, and stress responses in growing pullets and laying hens during 13 to 32 wk of age. One hundred sixty-eight pullets (Hy-Line Brown) were randomly assigned into 1 of 4 dietary treatments with 7 replicates of 6 birds each. Experimental diets were formulated to contain 3 graded P levels at 0.

Dietary probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NSMJ56 modulates gut immunity and microbiota in laying hens.

This study was performed to investigate supplementary effects of probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NSMJ56 strain on laying performance, egg quality, intestinal histology, antioxidant status, gut immunity and microbiota in laying hens. A total of ninety-six 21-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly subjected to one of 2 dietary treatments: a control group fed a non-supplemented diet, or a probiotic group fed with a diet supplemented with 1 g of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NSMJ56 (5 × 10 CFU/kg of diet). The trial lasted for 4 wk.

Effects of dietary protein levels on performance, nitrogen excretion, and odor emission of growing pullets and laying hens.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) levels on production performance, nitrogen balance, and odor emission of excreta in growing pullets and laying hens from 13 to 32 wk of age. Two hundred and forty pullets (Hy-Line Brown) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary groups with 10 replicates per group, and 6 birds per replicate. Experimental diets were formulated to contain 4 graded CP levels in the diets of pullets ranging from 180, 160, 140, and 120 g/kg of diet during 13 to 18 wk (phase 1) and in the diets of laying hens from 190, 170, 150, and 130 g/kg of diet during 19 to 32 wk (phase 2).

Effect of Dietary or on Laying Performance and Intestinal Immune Cell Parameters.

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of (CV) or (TO) on laying performance, egg quality, and gut health indicators of laying hens. A total of 144 Hy-Line Brown laying hens aged 21 weeks were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments with eight replicates of six hens. Dietary treatments were as follows: CON, basal diet; CV, basal diet + 5 g /kg of diet; TO, basal diet + 5 g /kg of diet.

Role of Dietary Methyl Sulfonyl Methane in Poultry.

Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between pro-oxidants and anti-oxidants within biological systems, leading to tissue damage and compromising the health of afflicted animals. The incorporation of dietary anti-oxidants into chicken diets has been a common practice to improve the performance, health, and welfare of the host by protecting against oxidative stress-induced damage. Methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM), a naturally occurring organosulfur compound found in various plant sources, has demonstrated various beneficial biological properties, including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties in both in vitro and in vivo studies.

Effect of Dietary Organic and Inorganic Sulfur on the Performance of Coccidiosis Vaccine Challenged Broiler Chickens.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary sulfur from either organic (methyl sulfonyl methane, MSM) or inorganic (sodium sulfate, SS) sources on the growth performance of broiler chickens challenged against a high-dose coccidiosis vaccine. A total of 320 day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly placed into 32 pens of 10 birds each (keeping 16 pens/control group and 8 pens/treatment group until 21 days post-hatch) and reared for 28 days. The experimental diets were formulated by mixing a corn and soybean meal-based control diet with MSM or SS.

Effects of dietary methyl sulfonyl methane and selenium on laying performance, egg quality, gut health indicators, and antioxidant capacity of laying hens.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of dietary methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) and selenium (Se) on the laying performance, egg quality, gut health indicators, egg yolk Se content, and antioxidant markers in laying hens.

Methods: One hundred ninety-two 73-wk-old laying hens were randomly divided into four groups with eight replicates of six hens each. Four diets were prepared in a 2×2 factorial arrangement with or without MSM and Se.

Incorporation of Dietary Methyl Sulfonyl Methane into the Egg Albumens of Laying Hens.

This study evaluated the effects of graded levels of dietary methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) on the laying performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, and the incorporation of MSM into the egg albumen of laying hens. A total of 240 73-week-old laying hens (Lohmann Brown Lite) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments, with 8 replicates of 6 birds per replicate. The experimental diets were formulated by mixing corn and soybean meal-based diets with MSM to reach 0.

In Vivo Recovery of Bacteriophages and Their Effects on -Infected Broiler Chickens.

The objectives of this study were to recover bacteriophages (BPs) from the intestinal digesta of BP-fed broilers and to evaluate the antibacterial effects of encapsulated or powdered BPs in broiler chickens challenged with . Day-old broiler chicks ( = 320/experiment) were randomly assigned to 32 pens ( = 10 broilers/pen) and allocated to one of four dietary groups: (1) unchallenged group (NEG); (2) -challenged group (POS); (3) POS group fed a diet supplemented with powdered BPs; and (4) POS group fed a diet supplemented with encapsulated BPs. On days 21, 22, and 23 post-hatch, all chickens except NEG were orally inoculated twice a day with 2 mL (1.

Effects of Dietary Organic and Inorganic Sulfur on Laying Performance, Egg Quality, Ileal Morphology, and Antioxidant Capacity in Laying Hens.

The present study was conducted to investigate the comparative effects of organic and inorganic forms of sulfur, methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) and sodium sulfate (SS), on laying performance, egg quality, ileal morphology, ileal volatile fatty acids, and antioxidant and stress markers in various biological samples in aged laying hens. A total of 144, 73-week-old Lohman Brown-Lite laying hens were randomly assigned to one of three experimental diets: basal diet (CONT), CONT + 0.2% MSM (MSM), and CONT + 0.

Dietary soluble flaxseed oils as a source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for laying hens.

The present study investigated the effect of dietary soluble flaxseed oil (SFO), as a source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, on the fatty acid composition of egg yolk and various indices including laying performance, egg quality, nutrient composition of eggs, egg stability upon storage, and serum characteristics in laying hens. A total of 210 52-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were assigned to one of 5 experimental diets. A corn-soybean meal-based control diet was mixed without or with SFO to reach the concentrations of 0.

Role of dietary gamma-aminobutyric acid in broiler chickens raised under high stocking density.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in broiler chickens raised in high stocking density (HSD) on performance and physiological responses. A total of 900 male broiler chicks (Ross 308) at 1 d old were assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to 4 treatments (10 replicates per treatment) with stocking density, 7.5 birds/m (low stocking density; LSD) or 15 birds/m (HSD), and dietary GABA, 0 or 100 mg/kg.

Black soldier fly larvae oil as an alternative fat source in broiler nutrition.

The present study was conducted to investigate growth performance, carcass characteristics, short-chain fatty acids, fatty acid composition in abdominal fat, and serum parameters in broiler chickens fed diets containing corn oil, coconut oil, or black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil at the level of 50 g per kg of diet during the 30-day-feeding period. A total 450 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to one of 3 dietary groups. Each treatment had 10 replicates with 15 chicks per replicate.

Dietary Encapsulated Essential Oils Improve Production Performance of Coccidiosis-Vaccine-Challenged Broiler Chickens.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the encapsulated essential oils (EEO) as an alternative to anticoccidials using a coccidiosis vaccine challenged model in broiler chickens. A total of 600 one-day-old male broiler chicks were provided with no added corn/soybean-meal-based control diet or diets that contained either salinomycin (SAL) or thymol- and carvacrol-based EEO at 60 and 120 mg per kg of diet. Before challenge at 21 days, each treatment had 10 replicates except for the no-added control group, which had 20 replicates.