Effect of β-mannanase supplementation in low-energy and low-protein diets on performance, intestinal morphology, and fatty liver incidence in laying hens

TL;DR

This study found that adding β-mannanase to low-energy and low-protein diets with high-mannan ingredients did not improve performance or health in laying hens.

Contribution

The study evaluates β-mannanase's effectiveness in low-energy, low-protein diets with high-mannan ingredients for laying hens.

Findings

Productive performance and egg quality were not significantly affected by the dietary treatments.

Jejunal villus height:crypt depth ratio was lower in hens fed high-mannan diets compared to control diets.

Liver color scores indicated better liver health in hens fed NC diets compared to PC diets.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary β-mannanase supplementation in low-energy and low-protein diets containing palm kernel meal and copra meal on productive performance, egg quality, intestinal morphology, and fatty liver incidence in laying hens.

A total of four hundred 26-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments with 8 replicates. The positive control (PC) diet was prepared with corn and soybean meal, whereas the negative control (NC) diet was formulated with decreased AMEn by 100 kcal/kg and CP by 0.85% than PC diets. High-mannan NC diet was also prepared by inclusion of 2.5% palm kernel meal and 2.5% copra meal, which was designed to contain energy and nutrient concentrations equal to those in the NC diet. Finally, dietary β-mannanase was supplemented to the high-mannan NC diet at the levels of 0.05% and 0.10%.

Most productive performance and egg quality were not affected by dietary treatments. For jejunal morphology, villus height:crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio for hens fed PC diets or NC diets was greater (p<0.05) than those fed high-mannan NC diets, but supplementation of β-mannanase in high-mannan NC diets did not affect VH:CD ratio in hens. Hens fed NC diets had a greater (p<0.05) subjective color score in the liver than those fed PC diets or high-mannan NC diets supplemented with 0.05% and 0.10% β-mannanase.

Most productive performance and egg quality in laying hens were not affected by reduction in dietary energy and protein levels, inclusion of high-mannan ingredients, and dietary β-mannanase supplementation. No considerable benefits of dietary β-mannanase supplementation in low-energy and low-protein diets containing high-mannan ingredients on productive performance and health were observed in laying hens.

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