• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2006

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary safflower seed (SFS) powder and chitosan on hatching egg production and eggshell qualify in aged egg-type breeder hens. A total of four hundred 54-week-old Hy-Line Brown breeder hens were divided into five the groups and fed experimental diets either with addition of 0.25 and 0.50% SFS powder or 0.10 and 0.20% chitosan or devoid of all for 6 weeks. There were no significant differences in feed intake and laying performances among the groups. The rate of sellable egg in the groups fed diets containing SFS powder or chitosan was significantly increased compared to that of control (P<0.05), irrespective of dose-dependent manner. The addition of SFS powder or chitosan significantly improved the eggshell strength (P<0.01). Eggshell thickness was also significantly increased in the groups 134 diets containing chitosan as compared with that of control (P<0.01). Fertility and hatchability of egg set were significantly improved by dietary chitosan that those of control (P<0.05). ike contents of tibial Ca and P were significantly increased in the groups fed diets containing 0.5% SFS powder, 0.1 and 0.2% chitosan as compared with those of control. The levels of blood estrogen, calcitonin and parathyroid hormone were not affected by the dietary treatments. The overall results indicated that the proper use of some feed additives such as safflower seed powder and chitosan might provide means of improving eggshell quality and reproductive performances in aged egg-type breeder hens.