Feeding Whole Wheat With or Without a Dietary Enzyme or Grit to Laying Hens

A ۳*۲*۲ factorial experiment was conducted to study the effect of feeding whole wheat (۰, ۱۰, and ۲۰%), a microbial enzyme source (Arabino-xylanase based enzyme for wheat at ۰% and ۰.۱%) and ۰% or ۱% insoluble grit (number ۳ layer size) on the performance of White Leghorn hens at ۱۹ to ۵۴ weeks of age. Each dietary treatment was replicated four times with ten hens, housed two to a cage, each. No main treatment effects or interactions were observed for egg production, feed efficiency, egg weight, body weight gain, or mortality. Feeding ۲۰% whole wheat produced the lowest incidence of cracked, broken, or soft shelled eggs. Adding the enzyme significantly (P<۰.۰۵) reduced daily feed intake from ۱۲۴.۶ to ۱۲۲.۲ g. Enzyme addition also resulted in minor, but significant (P<۰.۰۵), increases in egg specific gravity from ۱.۰۸۰۰ to ۱.۰۸۰۶. Inclusion of ۲۰% whole wheat does not adversely affect the productivity of White Leghorn hens and therefore can be used to reduce the cost of feed processing.

Keywords:

Enzyme , Grit , Processing , White Leghorn , Whole wheat