Use of yeast cell walls and Yucca schidigera extract in layer hens’ diets

• Main Authors: Yasemin Oznurlu, Varol Kurtoglu, Tahir Balevi, Emel Gurbuz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2011-04-01
• Series: Italian Journal of Animal Science
• Subjects: Yeast cell wall, Yucca schidigera extract, intestinal histology, performance,
• Online Access: http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/2058

This research was conducted to determine the impact of diet supplementation with yeast cell walls (YCW) and <em>Yucca schidigera</em> extract (YE) on performance, egg weight, specific gravity, body weight, and intestinal tissue hist­ology in layer hens. White, 48-week-old, Hy-line hybrid hens (n=320) were divided into four main groups, each comprising eight groups of 10 hens: (1) control, (2) 500 mg/kg YCW added, (3) 500 mg/kg YE added and (4) 250 mg/kg YE plus 2500 mg/kg YCW added. While the egg production and feed intake of the hens was significantly affected, overall feed efficiency, damaged-egg ratio, dirty-egg ratio, egg weight and specific gravity did not differ between the control group and the YCW, YE or YCW+YE groups. Final body weight was higher in the YCW, YE and YCW+YE groups than in the control group. There were differences in the width, muscle layer thickness and height/crypt depth ratio of the duodenal villus and the width of the ileal villus among the four groups. It can be concluded that YCW and YCW+YE supplementation for layer hens are beneficial for egg production.