Dietary Supplementation of Calcium Propionate and Calcium Butyrate Improves Eggshell Quality of Laying Hens in the Late Phase of Production.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of calcium propionate and calcium butyrate on the laying performance, eggshell quality, and expression of genes related to calcium and phosphorus metabolism in the tibia. One hundred and twenty 70-week-old Isa Brown hens were randomly assigned to three treatments, and each treatment had four replicates of 10 birds fed a basal diet (control) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.5% calcium propionate (CP) or 0.5% calcium butyrate (CB) for 8 weeks. The CB and CP treatments had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the laying rate, egg production, egg weight, and feed efficiency. The eggshell percentage was increased from week 2 (P<0.05) and eggshell thickness was elevated at week 8 (P<0.01) by both CP

SUBMITTER: Song M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8791774 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature