Analysis of excreta bacterial community after forced molting in aged laying hens.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

As laying hens become aged, laying performance and egg quality are generally impaired. One of the practical methods to rejuvenate production and egg quality of aged laying hens with decreasing productivity is a forced molting. However, the changes in intestinal microbiota after forced molting of aged hens are not clearly known. The aim of the present study was to analyze the changes in excreta bacterial communities after forced molting of aged laying hens.

Methods

A total of one hundred 66-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were induced to molt by a 2-d water removal and an 11-d fasting until egg production completely ceased. The excreta samples of 16 hens with similar body weight were collected before and immediately after molting. Excreta bacterial communities were

SUBMITTER: Han GP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6817773 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature