EFFECT OF FEEDING SILAGES OR CARROTS AS SUPPLEMENTS TO LAYING HENS ON PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY, GUT STRUCTURE, GUT MICROFLORA AND FEATHER PECKING BEHAVIOUR

Sanna Steenfeldt (1) , Joergen Kjaer (2) , Ricarda Margarete Engberg (1)

1 Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition
2 Institute for Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry

1. An experiment was carried out to study the effect of using foraging material for egg-laying hens. Performance, nutrient digestibility, gastrointestinal characteristics and feather pecking behaviour were considered as outcome variables. 2. The protein content of the foraging material varied from 65 to 127g/kg DM. The starch content was highest in maize-silage (312g/kg DM) and the content of NSP varied from 196-390g/kg, being lowest in carrots. In contrast the sugar content was high in carrots being on average 496g/kg DM. 3. The highest egg production was recorded for hens fed either carrots or maize-silage as supplements, whereas hens fed barley-pea-silage produced less (P<0.05). Mortality was reduced dramatically (P<0.05) in the groups given supplements (0.5-2.5%) compared to the control (15.2%). In spite of large amount of supplements eaten by the hens only minor effect on AMEn and apparent digestibility were seen. 4. Hens receiving silages had higher relative gizzard weights compared to the control or hens fed carrots. At 53 weeks of age a decrease in pH of about 0.7-0.9 units was found in the gizzard content of hens fed with silages compared to the control or hens supplemented with carrots (P < 0.05). The composition of the microflora in the digestive tract of the hens was only marginally influenced by the dietary treatments. 5. Access to all three types of supplements decreased the level of damaging pecking in general, reduced severe feather pecking behaviour and increased the quality of the plumage. The higher total feed consumption of hens fed silages or carrots (P< 0.05) could indicate that more time was spent on feeding, suggesting less time used for feather pecking. 6. It can be concluded from the present study that access to foraging material as silages and carrots can be recommended taking aspects of animal welfare into consideration.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Sanna Steenfeldt, Joergen Kjaer, Ricarda Margarete Engberg. EFFECT OF FEEDING SILAGES OR CARROTS AS SUPPLEMENTS TO LAYING HENS ON PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY, GUT STRUCTURE, GUT MICROFLORA AND FEATHER PECKING BEHAVIOUR. British Poultry Science, 2007, 48 (04), pp.454-468. ⟨10.1080/00071660701473857⟩. ⟨hal-00545319⟩