Quality of egg shells and bones in laying hens fed a diet containing distillers dried grains with solubles.

摘要

The effect of low level of fodder phosphate in hen diet with distillers dried grains with solubles (maize - mDDGS or rye - rDDGS) on laying performance, egg shell quality and mechanical parameters of tibia and humerus was studied using 60 Lohman Brown hens, 26-68 weeks of age. The layers were divided into 5 experimental groups. In the control group (I), layers were fed with a standard cereal-soyabean diet, while in the experimental groups, the diets contained 20% mDDGS (groups II and IV) or rDDGS (groups III and V). The total phosphorus in mDDGS was 5.43 g/kg and 4.95 g/kg in rDDGS. Assuming that phosphorus availability in DDGS was high (90%), in groups IV and V the level of fodder phosphate in the diets was decreased by ~40% (from 14- 9.5 or 10 g/kg). Administering diets containing 20% mDDGS had no effect on laying performance or egg shell and bone quality. In the case of diets with 20% rDDGS, a decreasing laying performance and feed conversion were noted. A decrease in fodder phosphate levels in diets containing DDGS had no negative influence on performance, thickness, density and strength of egg shells and strength, elasticity and stiffness of the tibia and humerus. The obtained results indicated a possibility for low fodder phosphate level in diets containing 20% mDDGS..