• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.97-107
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• 2018

This study aimed to evaluate the dietary effect of organic sulfur (OS) supplementation on performance, egg quality and serum constituents in laying hens. A total of 360 Lohmann brown laying hens at the age of 31 weeks were distributed into four treatments having five replicates of 18 hens each until 54 weeks. The hens were fed four levels (0.0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4%) of OS with basal diet. The number of eggs was investigated daily, and egg quality was confirmed every 8 weeks. Sulfur content in eggs, interleukin 2 (IL-2), T help cells (CD4+) and cytotoxicity cells (CD8+) were measured at the termination of the experiment. The result of the study showed that egg production tended to increase with 0.4% OS in diet after 39 weeks of age and, there was a significant effect (P<0.05) from 47 to 54 weeks of age. Egg quality traits of albumen height and haugh unit increased significantly (P<0.05) owing to the addition of OS to the diet. The polyunsaturated fatty acids in yolk were gradually increased while saturated fatty acids were decreased with increasing levels in OS (P<0.05). Total sulfur concentration in the eggs increased significantly (P<0.05) in treatments fed OS. Moreover, albumin, AST and HDL cholesterol levels in serum improved significantly (P<0.05) owing to the addition of OS. The IL-2 concentration and the ratio of CD4+ and CD8+ in blood were generally higher (P<0.05) at 0.4% OS. Therefore, it can be recommended that supplementary OS diet affected the performance, egg quality and stimulated immune response in laying hens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2006

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary organic selenium levels on performance and selenium retention in broiler chickens and laying hens. In experiment 1, the effects of dietary organic selenium levels on the weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, and selenium retention of meat and liver in broiler chickens were investigated. For each growth phase, the basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.60, 1.20, 1.80 and 2.40 ppm Se from selenium yeast(SY). Weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion were not affected by the selenium addition in diets. Breast muscle Se levels were linearly increased (P<0.05) as dietary Se level increased by SY. Selenium concentration of liver tissue was increased (P<0.05) in supplemental SY compared to the control, and was increased (P<0.05) in supplemental 1.20, 1.80 and 2.40 ppm SY compared to the 0.60 ppm SY. In Experiment 2, 12-week-experiment using Hy-Line laying hens (68 wk of age) was conducted to examine the effects of dietary organic selenium on egg Production, egg weight, daily egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion, egg quality, and selenium concentration of eggs. A corn-soybean meal basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.30, 0.60, 0.90 and 1.20 ppm Se from selenium yeast (SY). Egg Production was significantly improved(P<0.05) in supplemental 0.30 and 0.90 ppm SY compared to the control and 0.60 ppm SY during week 1 to 12, but daily egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion showed no difference in supplemental SY and control. Haugh unit, yolk color and eggshell breaking strength showed no difference in supplemental SY and control. Eggshell thickess was significantly (P<0.05) higher in supplemental 0.60 and 1.20 ppm SY compared to the 0.90 ppm SY in week 9. Egg Se levels were linearly increased (P<0.05) as dietary Se level increased by SY.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.205-218
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• 2008

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary pitamin, pine bark extracts, as a organic livestock feed additives on the egg production and egg quality of laying hens. One hundred-fifty laying hens (Hyline brown) were randomly allocated to one of the following 3 treatment groups for 6 weeks: control, pitamin 0.1% and pitamin 0.2%. The egg production of hens fed the diet containing 0.1% pitamin was similar to that of the control; however, the egg production of the pitamin 0.2% group was significantly lower than that of the other groups (p<0.05). Additionally, the Haugh unit was higher in groups fed diets that contained 0.1% or 0.2% pitamin than in the control group (p<0.05), but no significant difference in egg shell thickness and egg shell breaking was observed between the pitamin 0.1% group and the control group. Furthermore, the concentration of cholesterol in eggs produced by the pitamin 0.1% group was significantly lower than that of the other groups (p<0.05). Moreover, the saturated fatty acid content of eggs from hens in the pitamin 0.2% group was lower than that of eggs produced by hens in the other groups, whereas the unsaturated fatty acid content of eggs produced by hens in the pitamin 0.2% group was higher than that of eggs produced by hens in the other groups (p<0.05). Finally, the values corresponding to the storage days, Haugh unit, yolk index and albumin index of eggs produced by hens that were provided with a diet that contained 0.1% or 0.2% pitamin were significantly higher than those of the control group (p<0.05). Taken together, these results suggest that providing hens with a diet supplemented with 0.1% pitamin as a organic livestock feed additives may extend the shelf-life of eggs with maintaining the egg quality and egg production in laying hens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.367-373
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• 2009

This experiment was conducted to determine optimum dietary levels of dietary energy and protein for laying performance and egg quality in organic laying hens. In a $2{\times}3$ factorial arrangement, 360 Hy-Line pullets (21 wk of age) were randomly assigned to experimental diets with 2,800, 3,080, and 3,360 kcal of ME/kg of diet, each containing 16 and 18% CP, respectively. Each dietary treatment was replicated 4 times, and feed and water were provided ad libitum. Experimental birds were raised in floor and received 14h of light throughout 52 weeks of experimental period. The birds were observed for feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, Haugh unit, shell thickness, and shell color at 30, 50, and 70 wk of age. Egg production, egg weight, and egg mass were higher (P<0.05) in hens receiving diets with 2,800 kcal/kg of ME/kg of feed than those fed diets containing 3,080 and 3,360 kcal of ME/kg of diets. Eggshell breaking strengths were not significantly different among the dietary ME and CP concentrations. Eggshell thickness was higher (P<0.05) in hens receiving diets with 3,360 kcal of ME/kg of feed than those fed diets containing 2,800 and 3,080 kcal of ME/kg of diets at 50 and 70 week. With increasing in dietary energy levels, the concentrations of blood total cholesterol were also significantly increased. Overall, the laying hens fed organic diet of 2,800 kcal ME/kg and 16% CP showed superior egg production than those of other dietary regimens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2009

This experiment was conducted using 350 Lohmann Brown layers (67 weeks of age) to evaluate the dietary effect of organic or inorganic Se and Cu on their contents in chicken eggs. The layers were divided into seven groups and fed a commercial diet or one of the six experimental diets containing different levels of Se and Cu (T1, 0.3ppm organic Se; T2, 1.0ppm organic Se; T3, 1.0ppm inorganic Se; T4, 125ppm organic Cu; T5, 250ppm organic Cu; and T6, 250ppm inorganic Cu) for 5 weeks. No significant differences were observed in egg production and its qualities among groups. The contents of blood cholesterol in the birds fed various levels of Se and Cu were not significantly different as compared to control. Se contents in eggs were linearly increased as dietary Se levels increased for both sources, but Se contents from the groups fed organic Se were slightly higher than those fed inorganic Se. Sensory characteristics of eggs were not influenced by dietary treatments. In conclusion, Se contents in eggs were linearly increased as dietary levels of organic or inorganic Se increased, but eggs in layers fed the diet containing organic Se did not show higher Se contents than those in birds fed dietary inorganic Se.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 2007

To examine the effects of dietary organic selenium and vitamin E supplementation on egg production, egg weight, daily egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion, egg quality, lipid-soluble antioxidative capacity (ACL) in egg yolk, and selenium retention of egg in laying hens, Hy-Line laying hens of 77 wk old were replaced in the individual cage for 12 week. A corn-soybean meal based diet was supplemented with 0 (control), vitamin E 100 IU/kg and the combination of 0.9 ppm Se from selenium yeast (SY) and vitamin E 50, 100 and 150 IU/kg. Egg production and daily egg mass were significantly increased (P<0.05) in supplemental vitamin E 100 IU, and 0.9 ppm SY + vitamin E 50 IU than control for the whole experimental period. However, feed intake and feed conversion were not affected by supplemental vitamin E and SY. Haugh unit was significantly (P<0.05) higher in supplemental vitamin E 100 IU and 0.9 ppm SY + vitamin E 50 IU than control, 0.9 ppm SY + vitamin E 100 and 0.9 ppm SY + 150 IU in week 5. Haugh unit of the eggs during storage decreased significantly(P<0.05) from day 1 to day 11. However, Haugh units of the eggs from 0.9 ppm SY + vitamin E 150 IU treated groups did not decreased significantly until day 5. Yolk color was significantly (P<0.05) higher in 0.9 ppm SY + vitamin E 50 and 0.9 ppm SY + 100 IU than other treatment groups in week 1. Selenium concentrations of egg were significantly increased (P<0.05) in 0.9 ppm SY + vitamin E than control and vitamin E 100 IU groups. Lipid-soluble antioxidative capacity (ACL) in egg yolk was significantly (P<0.05) higher in supplemental combination of 0.9 ppm SY + vitamin E 150 IU when compared to those of other treatment groups.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.589-600
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• 2021

The present study investigated the effect of perch material type (wood and steel) on performance, blood characteristics, and feather pecking. A total of 1,700, one-day-old female Hy-Line brown chicks were evenly assigned to two treatments (wood and steel). The body weight and uniformity of birds were investigated over a 10-week experimental period. Blood characteristics and feather pecking was conducted at week 10. The wood perch treatment (WP) and steel perch treatment (SP) did not differ in their body weight, uniformity, and serum biochemical profile (except inorganic phosphorus) of pullets. Inorganic phosphorus on serum in WP significantly higher than that in SP (P<0.05). Blood corpuscle composition (leukocyte, erythrocyte, and Heterophil / Lymphocyte ratio) of pullets did not show any significant differences among treatments at week 10. Serum corticosterone and feather score that is stress and welfare indices were not affected by the type of perch material. In conclusion, our results suggest that performance, blood characteristics, and feather pecking of pullets were not affected by the perch material type. The results of this study can serve as basic data for investigating the effects of perch type on layer pullets.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.195-202
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• 2006

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary selenium sources on performance and selenium retention in broiler chickens and laying hens. In experiment 1, the effects of dietary selenium sources and levels on the weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, and selenium retention of meat in broiler chickens were investigated. for each growth phase, the basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.12 and 0.24 ppm Se from sodium selenite (SS) and 0.12, 0.24 and 0.60 ppm Se from selenium yeast(SY). Weight gain was significantly increased(P<0.05) in supplemental 0.24 and 0.60 ppm SY compared to the 0.24 ppm SS by diet during day 1 to 35, but feed intake and feed conversion were not affected by the source or the level of Se. Selenium concentrations of breast and leg muscle were significantly increased(P<0.05) in supplemental SS and SY compared to the control, and linearly increased(P<0.05) as dietary. Se level increased by SY, but there was no difference in supplemental 0.12 ppm SS compared to 0.24 ppm SS. In experiment 2, 12-week-experiment using Hy-Line laying hens(31 wk of age) was conducted to compare the effects of selenium sources and levels on egg production, egg weight, daily egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion, egg quality, and selenium retention of egg in laying hens. A corn-soybean meal basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.06 and 0.12 ppm Se from sodium selenite (SS) and 0.06, 0.12 and 0.30 ppm Se from selenium yeast(SY). Feed conversion was significantly improved(P<0.05) in supplemental 0.06 ppm SS compared to the control, but egg production, egg weight, daily egg mass, and feed intake were not affected by source and level of Se. Haugh unit was not affected by source or level of Se. Yolk color was significantly(P<0.05) higher in supplemental 0.3 ppm SY compared to the control and other supplement in week 12. Eggshell breaking strength was significantly(P<0.05) higher in supplemental 0.06 ppm SY(P<0.05). Thickness of eggshell was not affected by source or level of Se. Se concentrations of egg was significantly improved(P<0.05) in supplemental SS and SY compared to the control, and was significantly increased(P<0.05) as dietary Se level increased by SS and SY, especially SY more effective compared to the SS.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.91-100
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• 2006

Effects of the supplement of earthworm cast produced from the feeding of organic wastes and earthworm on the productivity and nutritional constituents of functional eggs were investigated. Compared with control experiments, the case supplemented with earthworm cast showed high ratios in egg production, selection and the reserved feed. According to the experiment with earthworm, both the number of jumbo eggs and the quantity of reserved feed were increased. Therefore, the nutritional effect of earthworm in the feed was positive. The optimum percentage of earthworm cast in the feed was 10%: the average laying increased to 96.8, which was a 5% increase; the ratio of the large eggs increased by 5% although the ratio of jumbo eggs and of extra large eggs decreased by 5% and 1.1%, respectively; the average reserved feed was 662.5g. Also, Beauveria bassiana was inoculated into the feed as valuable microorganisms to prevent the growth of pathogen and to obtain essential amino acid. With the inoculatio of B. bassiana KACC 40039, the average laying was 0.82/hen and with B. bassiana HYB, it was 0.77/hen. Those numbers were three to eight percentage over the control. As for the effect of inoculation of B. bassiana in the feed on the production of broken eggs, B. bassiana KACC 40039 produced no broken eggs. Analysis of nutritional contents of eggs showed the increase in protein content and decrease in lipid content when compared with the control. According to these results, increase in the income of farmers can be expected.

• KOREAN POULTRY JOURNAL
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• v.40 no.2 s.460
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• pp.138-140
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• 2008