Individual and combined effects of crude protein, methionine, and probiotic levels on laying hen productive performance and nitrogen pollution in the manure

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the dietary levels of protein, methionine (Met), as well as probiotic on productive performance, feed utilization, and environmental pollution by N in Lohmann Brown laying hens. A total number of 160 Lohmann Brown laying hens at 20 weeks of age were randomly divided into 8 treatment groups using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design experiment. The experiment involved two levels of crude protein (16 and 18 %), two levels of Met (0.45 and 0.50 %), and two concentrations of probiotic (0 or 1 g/kg diet, with a concentration of 10¹⁰ CFU/g of Lactobacillus acidophilus) within 20-42 weeks of age. Results revealed that egg production parameters were significantly (P < 0.01) improved for hens fed diets of 18 % CP comparing with that of 16 % protein within the period from 26 to 30 weeks of age. Protein utilization and feed efficiency values were enhanced with 0.67 and 0.72 % Met during the period of 26-30 weeks of the age. For the N pollution, results showed that increasing crude protein in the diet from 16 to 18 % caused significant (P < 0.01) increase in the excreted N from 0.349 to 0.492 g/d. The methionine level of 0.72 % recorded the highest values of total consumed N being 3.98 g/d and excreted N being 0.527 g/d comparing with the other levels. It could be concluded that the best productive performance could be given by using 0.72 % total sulfur amino acids (TSAA). Furthermore, the dietary level of 18 % CP with 0.72 % Met is preferred in feeding laying hens through the whole experimental period. Ecologically, reducing the level of crude protein in layer diets to be 16 % along with the supplementation of Met can play an important role in minimizing the pollution with N from poultry excretion.

Keywords: Laying hens; Methionine; Pollution; Probiotics; Production; Protein.