Effect of dietary supplementation of organic acids, Jerusalem artichoke, and their mixture on production performance and egg quality in laying hens

Abstract

With the ban on the use of antibiotics in animal feed, it is necessary to find effective supplements to reduce or replace the use of antibiotics. This study investigated the effects of supplementing organic acids, Jerusalem artichoke, and their mixture in the diet of layers on production performance and egg quality. Thirty-two Hisex brown hens, 70 weeks of age, were reared in layer cages using a completely randomized design. The hens were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups, with 4 replicates per treatment and 2 hens per replicate. The following dietary treatments were applied for 8 weeks: 1) control, 2) control diet + 0.3 % organic acids, 3) control diet + 1 % Jerusalem artichoke, and 4) control diet + 0.3 % organic acids + 1 % Jerusalem artichoke. Body weight, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and egg quality were examined. The results showed that supplementation with organic acids and the combination of organic acids plus Jerusalem artichoke in the diet tended to increase egg production compared to the control group (p = 0.059). The combination of organic acids plus Jerusalem artichoke resulted in the greatest increase in egg mass (p < 0.05). For egg quality, the use of supplements in all groups tended to increase eggshell thickness more than the control group (p = 0.075). The combination of organic acids plus Jerusalem artichoke resulted in an increase in eggshell strength (p < 0.01). The present results indicate that the supplementation of organic acids plus Jerusalem artichoke improved egg production performance. Dietary supplementation with organic acids alone or in combination with Jerusalem artichoke resulted in an increase in eggshell quality.