Effects of adding mixed powder of garlic and thyme to diets included graded levels of rice bran on productive performance of laying hens and egg quality characteristics
Code: 6715685418. Mohebbifar, A. and M. Torki; Effects of adding mixed powder of garlic and thyme to diets included graded levels of rice bran on productive performance of laying hens and egg quality characteristics ABSTRACT To investigate the effects of adding dried powder of medicinal plants (MP) including garlic (Allium sativum) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) to rice bran-included diets on performance of laying hens, egg quality traits and blood differential count of white blood cells, 144 Lohmann LSL-Lite hens after production peak were randomly divided in 24 cages (n=6). Six iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets (ME = 2720 Kcal/ Kg and CP=154.2 g/Kg) including three levels (0, 100 and 200 g/kg) of rice bran (RB) with MP (0 and 2.5 g/kg) were fed hens with 4 replicates per diet during 8-week trial period. In weeks 4 and 8, all produced eggs per each dietary group during three frequent days were collected to measure egg quality traits. To determine blood biochemical parameters and differential count of white blood cells, one randomly selected hen per replicate was bled via wing vein on day 35 of trial. Collected data of feed intake (FI), egg production (EP), egg mass (EM); calculated feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg quality traits and blood parameters in a 3×2 factorial arrangement was analyzed based on completely randomized design using GLM procedure of SAS. Dietary treatment did not have significant effect on EP, EM, FI and FCR of laying hens (P>0.05). Egg weight, egg index, Haugh unit, egg gravity and egg shell weight were not significantly affected by dietary treatment (P>0.05). Yolk color in the first measurement (wk 4) was higher in the control compared to the RB-included dietary group (P=0.02); but, in second egg sampling (wk 8) yolk color was higher in the 200 g RB-included dietary group (P= 0.01) compared the other dietary groups. In second measurement (wk 8) egg shell thickness was higher in the control compared to RB-included dietary groups (P=0.03). Dietary treatment did not have significant effect on feces pH (P> 0.05). From the results of the present study it can be concluded that RB can be included in diets of laying hens up to 20% with no adverse effect on productive performance. In terms of egg quality characteristics, egg shell quality might be improperly affected by dietary RB inclusion. Adding ground mixture of dried garlic and thyme did not have beneficial effects on hens' performance and egg quality
