The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of storage time and temperature and their interaction on the quality parameters of eggs obtained from aged laying hens. Eggs from 50-wk-old Bovans White hens were sampled immediately after being laid and subjected to storage periods of 2, 5, and 10 d at 5, 21, and 29°C. Extension of the storage time up to 10 d and temperature up to 29°C resulted in significant deterioration of egg quality. Albumen height, Haugh unit, pH of albumen and yolk, specific gravity, and air cell size have been found to be the most important parameters and were greatly influenced by storage time and temperature. In a 10-d storage period Haugh units were 76.3, 53.7, and 40.6 when stored at 5, 21, or 29°C, respectively. The size of air cell (distance between eggshell and membrane) exceeded 4 mm when eggs were stored 2 d at greater than 21°C. Rapidly increased pH in albumen with 2 d storage time was observed, regardless of storage temperature. Likewise, pH during a 5-d storage period continued to increase from 7.47 to 9.2 at 29°C. Interaction effects between storage time and temperature were also significant for egg weight loss, specific gravity, air cell size, Haugh unit, albumen height, and pH. The results of the present study suggested that Haugh unit, pH of albumen, and air cell size were the most important parameters influenced by the storage period and storage temperature in laying hens.

The experiment was conducted to study the effects of supplementing a broiler starter diet with the probiotic Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415 and dried whey (80% lactose) on chick performance, gut histomorphology and intestinal microbiota. One-day-old male Ross 308 strain broiler chickens were fed diets containing: (i) control feed, (ii) control + 3.5% dried whey, (iii) control + 0.2%E. faecium, and (iv) control + 3.5% dried whey + 0.2%E. faecium. Birds were maintained in battery brooders confined in an environmentally controlled experimental room. The experiment lasted for 21 days. Birds fed E. faecium or E. faecium + dried whey exhibited significantly improved weight gain and feed conversion rate (FCR). Weight gain and FCR of treatment groups 1 – 4 were 628.7, 657.8, 690.9, 689.3 and 1.218, 1.193, 1.107, 1.116, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria counts in both the ileal content and excreta were significantly affected by dietary treatment. Supplementation of the E. faecium and dried whey separately and in combination increased lactic acid bacteria colonization in the ileal content from 4.2 to 5.0, 7.8 and to 5.1 log cfu/g, respectively (treatments 1 – 4). Similarly, supplementation of dried whey and E. faecium separately and in combination increased lactic acid bacteria in the excreta from 5.3 to 5.5, 8.0 and to 7.2 log cfu/g, respectively. Addition of the probiotic E. faecium increased villus height in the ileum (p < 0.05). Thus, supplementation of E. faecium enhanced broiler chick performance with respect to weight gain and FCR. No additive effect of E. faecium and dried whey was detected. Further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between E. faecium and dried whey with respect to gut histomorphology.

1. The experiment was to study the effects of floor type and probiotic supplementation (Enterococcus faecium) on performance, morphology of erythrocytes and intestinal microbiota of male Ross 308 broiler chickens. 2. The experimental design was a factorial 2 × 2 with 6 replicates. The factors were floor type (wire floor versus wood shaving litter) and the presence or absence of probiotic. 3. Birds housed on wood shavings exhibited significantly improved weight gain and food intake. 4. Addition of E. faecium led to significantly decreased food intake and gizzard weight. Supplementation with E. faecium positively influenced the ileal and caecal microbiota, with a significant decrease in the population of Escherichia coli. 5. Erythrocyte length decreased and erythrocyte width increased in the birds housed on wood shavings.

Day-old male chicks were used to test the effects of a combination of formic and propionic acids (CFP) added to wheat- and barley-based diets on the performance and gut histomorphology of broilers. The CFP, containing formic and propionic acids based on an inorganic phyllo-silicate carrier, was added to starter and grower broiler diets of standard (NRC, 1994) or lower nutrient density (LND) using different levels of wheat and barley. Body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broiler chicks were significantly (P < 0.001) improved by CFP supplementation at 21 days of age regardless of nutrient density (ND). However, at 35 days of age CFP addition significantly (P < 0.001) increased BWG and FCR. Proventriculus weight was also significantly affected by the dietary treatments. Ileal viscosity was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by ND which was associated with wheat and barley contents, whereas feed viscosity was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by CFP supplementation. Villus height was significantly (P < 0.05) increased by the CFP supplementation. In the case of villus width, an interaction effect was observed: there was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the group fed the standard ND diet, but only a numerical decrease in the group fed the LND diet compared to control group. No significant effect of dietary treatment on the thickness of the lamina muscularis mucosae could be detected.

An experiment was conducted using Bovans White layers to investigate the effects of 30% whole-wheat inclusion in a standard layer diet supplemented with xylanase, on laying performance, digestive organs and ileal mucosa development. Three dietary treatments were used: 1) control diet (30% ground wheat); 2) 30% whole wheat; 3) whole wheat+wheat xylanase. Xylanase was added to whole wheat at 150g/ton. Including the pre-experimental period the trial lasted for 13 weeks. Xylanase supplementation to whole wheat significantly (P<0.05) improved egg production and feed conversion rate compared to the ground wheat and whole wheat fed groups. Gizzard pH was not affected by dietary treatments, while whole wheat feeding significantly (P<0.05) reduced jejuno-ileal pH and increased gizzard and jejuno-ileal viscosity compared to the ground wheat fed and xylanase supplemented groups. Proventriculus, gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, colon and liver weights were not significantly affected by dietary treatments. Feeding whole wheat w/wo xylanase supplementation significantly (P<0.05) increased crypt depth but did not affect lamina muscularis mucosae thickness

The effects of poultry by-product meal (PBPM) and feather meal (FM) incorporated separately and in combination in the diet on laying hen performance and egg characteristics during postpeak production were determined. Bovans White strain laying hens, 42 wk of age, were fed diets with 0% PBPM and FM, 5% FM, 5% PBPM, or 4% FM + 4% PBPM. Egg production, feed intake, and egg mass were not significantly affected by dietary treatments, whereas egg weight and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly affected. Egg weights of hens receiving 4% FM + 4% PBPM were significantly lower than those fed the control diet, whereas those fed 5% FM or 5% PBPM were intermediate. FCR was significantly improved by the diets containing 5% FM or 5% PBPM compared with the diet containing 4% FM + 4% PBPM. Dietary PBPM decreased Haugh units, but FM did not. Egg breaking strength, shell weight, and weights of albumen and yolk were not affected by treatments. The results suggested that FM or PBPM could be incorporated up to 5% singly or up to 8% in combination in layer diets but with possible detrimental effects on Haugh units, egg weight, and FCR.