title: Different combinations of probiotics improve the production performance, egg quality, and immune response of layer hens.
abstract: To evaluate the effects of different combinations of probiotics on performance, egg quality, and immune response of layer hens, a trial was carried out with 1,800 white feather layer hens of the Lohmann variety. The experiment was conducted by using a completely randomized design with 9 treatments, 4 replicates, and 50 hens in each replicate. Compared with the control group, group F, which added a composition of heat-inactivated Lactobacillus salivarius(CB) and Bacillus subtilis to the diets of layer hens, caused highly significant (P < 0.05) increases in egg production, daily egg yield, damaged egg ratio, combined with a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in feed conversion and damaged egg ratio. Group G, adding a combination of inactivated Lactobacillus salivarius and sodium butyrate, resulted in a significant increase (P < 0.05) in daily egg yield, feed conversion, damaged egg ratio and Haugh unit. Meanwhile, groups D and H had significantly decreased feed conversion (P < 0.05), and groups B, H, and I had a significantly decreased damaged egg ratio. In serum levels, no significant difference was observed except a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in total cholesterol (groups D, E, and G) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (group E and G) and a significant increase (P < 0.05) in total cholesterol (groups D, E, and G) compared with group A. According to the hemagglutination inhibition test, the antibody titer of antibody against the avian influenza virus was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in most treated groups such as groups B, C, E, G, and I after d 15 fed to layers with probiotics and groups B, C, D, E, F, G, and H after d 45 compared with the control group. No significant difference was observed in the antibody titer against the Newcastle disease virus at d 15, but significantly (P < 0.05) higher at d 45 in groups F and G. These results demonstrate that several combinations of probiotics used in this experiment have a positive impact on the performance, egg quality, and immune response of layer hens, and the following work will continue to focus on these groups.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Q M
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Y Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Bi
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D002087:Butyrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004531:Eggs / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D002087:Butyrates; D002784:Cholesterol