Effects of dietary palm kernel meal and β-xylanase on productive performance, fatty liver incidence, and excreta characteristics in laying hens

• Published in: Journal of animal science and technology Vol. 63; no. 6; pp. 1275 - 1285
• Main Authors: Choi, Won Jun, Kim, Jong Hyuk, Kim, Hyun Woo, Kim, Kwan Eung, Kil, Dong Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 01.11.2021
• Subjects: Palm kernel meal; {\beta}$-xylanase; Egg quality; Excreta characteristics; Performance; Laying hen
• ISSN: 2672-0191; 2093-6281

The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary palm kernel meal (PKM) and β-xylanase supplementation on productive performance, egg quality, fatty liver incidence, and excreta characteristics in laying hens. A total of 320 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (33 weeks of age) were allotted to 1 of 4 treatments with 8 replicates in a feeding trial. Each replicate consisted of 10 consecutive cages with 1 hen per cage. The corn-soybean meal-based control diet was prepared. Additional diet was prepared by including 10% of PKM in the control diet with a partial replacement of corn, soybean meal, and animal fat. In addition, 0.025% β-xylanase was supplemented at the expense of celite to those 2 diets to produce 4 treatment diets in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. All hens were provided the diet and water ad libitum for 8 weeks. Results indicated no significant interactions between inclusion of dietary PKM and β-xylanase for all measurements; therefore, the main effects were mainly discussed. Hens fed diets containing 10% PKM had greater (p < 0.05) feed intake and yolk color than those fed diets containing no PKM. However, dietary PKM did not influence fatty liver incidence and excreta characteristics. Dietary β-xylanase supplementation had no effects on all measurements, regardless of inclusion of PKM. In conclusion, PKM can be a potential feed ingredient for laying hens at the inclusion of 10% in the diet. It appears that dietary β-xylanase used in the current experiment has little effect on layer productivity, regardless of inclusion of 10% PKM in the diet.