• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.667-674
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of germinated and fermented unmarketable soybean (GFS) on laying performance and egg quality in laying hens. A total of two hundred laying hens were divided into 5 groups (5 treatment $\times$ 4 replication $\times$ 10 birds each) and fed with the experimental diets for 8 wk as follows: control, GFS free; T1, GFS 0.15%; T2, GFS 0.3%; T3, GFS 1%; T4, GFS 2%. The laying performance, egg quality, blood profiles, cecal microbial population, isoflavone content in egg yolk were investigated. There were no significant differences laying performance, relative liver and spleen weights, egg yolk color, eggshell color among groups. Eggshell strength in groups fed with diets containing GFS increased, but not significantly. Eggshell thickness significantly increased in the GFS-supplemented group. No significant differences were observed in the blood profiles and intestinal microflora after supplementation. The decrease of Haugh unit during storage was alleviated by feeding of GFS (p<0.05). The concentrations of malondialdehyde in groups fed with GFS were decreased as compared with control (p<0.05). Isoflavones in the egg yolk were detected in group fed with diet containing 2% GFS. These results showed that unmarketable GFS could be used as a favorable feed additive and feedstuff for production of quality enhanced and isoflavone fortified eggs.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2016

This study aimed of effects of replacing maize with rice or brown rice on laying performance, egg quality, and apparent fecal digestibility of nutrient in Hy-Line Brown laying hens. A total of 200, 25-week old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly assigned to one of 5 treatments, each of which was replicated 4 times. Four experimental diets that were formulated two different grains (brown rice or rice) with two inclusion levels of (15 and 30%) as a replacement of maize. The experimental period was 8 weeks. During the experiment, hens were provided with feed and water ad libitum and were exposed to a 16:8=L:D lighting schedule. There were no differences in feed intake, egg weight, and egg mass during the 8 weeks of the feeding trial among groups. However, hen-day egg production was greater (P<0.05) for Brown rice treatment groups than that for basal and rice treatment groups. In addition, the supplementation of brown rice or rice did not have an effect on eggshell strength, eggshell thickness, and HU during of the feeding trial (Table 4). However, egg yolk color was less (P<0.05) for basal treatment groups than that for among treatment group. ATTD of dry matter (DM) and crude fat were greater (P<0.05) for brown rice 15 treatment than for rice 30 treatment. Crude protein (CP) was greater (P<0.05) for brown rice 15 treatment than for basal treatment. In conclusion, brown rice or rice grains is a good alternative energy feedstuff and can be used in laying hens, totally replacing maize, without any negative effect on the laying performance, egg quality, and nutrient digestibility.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.204-212
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• 2016

This study was conducted to develop an edible smoked egg by penetrating seasoning through pressurization without damaging the eggshell and to investigate the quality characteristics of the product. The lyophilized smoked egg consisted of 2.43% moisture, 4.11% crude ash, 46.08% crude protein, 40.85% crude fat and 6.53% hydrated carbon. The total content of polyphenol was 3.11 mg%, 35.70% saturated fatty acid and 64.30% unsaturated fatty acid. Major types of saturated fatty acids included palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0) and lauric acid (C12:0), while major unsaturated fatty acids included oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2). Due to smoking of the egg, the eggshell is dark brown, the egg albumen, egg yolk and egg shell are darker than boiled eggs, and the value of a (redness) is higher than that of boiled eggs. Overall, smoked eggs were organically superior than boiled eggs because of their seasoning and smoke flavor. The results of this study are expected to further the development of processed foods using domestic eggs and improve the egg processing industry.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.86-90
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• 2018

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary detoxified Rhus verniciflua sap (RVS) on production performance, egg quality, lipid fractions of egg yolk, liver and serum, and the profile of cecal microflora in laying hens. Methods: Two hundred 52-week-old Hy-Line Brown layers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 5 replicates per group (2 hens per cage, 5 cages per replicate) and were provided with one of 4 experimental diets containing 0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, or 0.2% RVS, for 6 weeks. Due to unequal intervals of RVS doses, the interactive matrix language procedure of the SAS program was used to correct the contrast coefficients of orthogonal polynomials. Results: There were no differences in feed intake and egg weight among the groups. Egg production increased (linearly and quadratically, p<0.05) with increasing levels of RVS. Eggshell thickness increased (linear, p<0.05) as the level of RVS in diets increased. The levels of blood cholesterol and activities of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase were not altered by dietary treatments. Increasing level of RVS increased (linear, p<0.05) the populations of cecal lactic acid bacteria. The content of yolk cholesterol decreased (linear, p<0.05) with increasing levels of dietary RVS, although there were no significant differences in each lipid fraction of the liver. Conclusion: This study indicates that dietary RVS could improve laying performance and eggshell quality, and affect cecal lactic acid bacteria in a dose-dependent manner.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.67-75
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• 1989

Studies were conducted to compare the utilization of dietary calcium between brown laying Tsaiya duck and Leghorn hen. Birds were fed corn-soybean diets containing 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0% calcium, respectively, with five birds per treatment. The metabolizability of calcium was determined by the indicator method. Experiments were conducted three times each at the age of 27, 31 and 36 weeks. Results appeared that duck eggs were heavier with better shell quality in comparison with hen eggs. Ducks fed 1% calcium diet resulted in severely depressed egg production (19%), but not for hens which still had 56% egg production. The metabolizability of calcium for hens was significantly higher than that for ducks (P<0.05) when both were fed diets containing 1 or 2% calcium. As the dietary calcium level was increased to 3 to 5%, there was no significant difference in calcium metabolizability between ducks and hens. When the dietary calcium was between 2 to 5%, the ducks retained more calcium than did the hens. Plasma calcium content for both hens and ducks fed 1% calcium diet was about the same. When the amount of the dietary calcium was increased to 2-5%, the plasma calcium level of ducks was approximately 7-10 mg/dl higher than that of hens. The calcium content in the egg shell of duck was significantly higher than that of hens, too. As the dietary calcium level was increased, there was a decreased magnesium content in the eggshell of hens, but not for ducks. The magnesium level in the eggshell was higher in hens than that in ducks. It is concluded that ducks could retain significantly more calcium and maintain higher plasma calcium level which might be the reason for larger eggs with better shell quality by ducks.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2005

Forty-wk-old 480 ISA Brown layers were used in a 10-wk feeding trial to investigate the effects of additional various levels of limestone to a low calcium diet without any calcium additives on the performance of laying hens. There were significant differences in average egg weight (P<0.05) without any specific trend among treatments and hen-day egg production was not influenced by the dietary treatments. Daily intake and conversion per kg egg of feed excluded the calcium supplement were significantly reduced (p<0.05) as the level of additional calcium supplement increased in both types of layer diet, while those of feed included the calcium source were significantly increased (P<0.05) as the level of additional calcium supplement increased. Egg specific gravity, eggshell breaking strength and thickness were increased as the level of additional calcium supplement increased, however the significant differences were found only in egg specific gravity It would be possible to reduce the daily feed intake and feed conversion and to improve the eggshell quality by feed the low calcium diet devoid of calcium supplement from the conventional laying hen diet and by supply the additional calcium source at 3 to 4 p.m. instead of the continuous feeding of conventional high calcium diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.828-833
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• 2017

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different methionine (Met) sources on production performance, reproduction performance, egg quality and serum biochemical indices in broiler breeders. Methods: After receiving a basal diet (containing 0.25% Met) for a 2-wk pretreatment period, a total of 360 39-wk-old Lingnan yellow broiler breeders were randomly allocated to four treatments with six replicates each (15 birds per replicate). Breeders were fed with basal diets (control) or diets supplemented with DL-methionine (DLM), DL-2-hydroxy-4-methylthio butytric calcium (MHA-Ca) and coated DL-Met (CME) respectively. Results: The results showed that CME supplementation promoted laying rate and decreased feed-to-egg ratio (F/E) (p<0.05), DLM and MHA-Ca supplementation decreased F/E (p<0.05) when compared with control group. The rate of fertility, hatchability and birthrate were higher (p<0.05) in DLM, MHA-Ca, and CME groups than control group. Compared with control group, CME increased the eggshell thickness (p<0.05); MHA-Ca improved the eggshell thickness, shell ratio and eggshell strength (p<0.05). Results also showed that CME elevated the concentration of total protein in serum (p<0.05); MHA-Ca improved the concentration of calcium in serum (p<0.05). The concentration of serum uric acid in DLM, MHA-Ca, and CME groups was lower than that in control group (p<0.05). Besides, CME had higher concentrations of serum taurine, cysteine and cystanthionine (p<0.05) while MHA-Ca and DLM promoted the serum taurine concentration (p<0.05) compared with control group. Conclusion: Based on the results, it was concluded that Met supplementation could enhance the production and reproduction performance as well as the antioxidant status and egg quality of broiler breeders. In terms of improving the production performance, reproduction performance and antioxidant performance, CME was superior to DLM and MHA-Ca; but in regard to the enhancement of eggshell quality and serum Ca concentration, MHA-Ca was superior to DLM and CME.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.161-168
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• 2021

The present study investigated production traits, including body weight, egg production, egg weight, and egg quality in Korean indigenous parent stocks. Parent stocks produced from a nine-combination association from five pure line strains (C, D, F, K, and Y) were used. The body weight analyses results showed that the CY combination had the highest body weight (1,604.9 g) and the DK combination had the lowest (1,424.4 g). The average age at first egg of the nine combinations was 118.6 days; however, that of the YD combination was 111.6 days, making it the fastest growing combination, whereas the DK combination was the slowest, at 126 days. Hen-day egg production was 74% or more for the CF, CK, and DK combinations. The DK combination hens showed excellent persistence in egg laying. Hen-housed egg production exhibited results similar to those of hen-day egg production. Egg weight was significantly higher in the DK combination than in the other combinations and was observed to increase from 20 (43.9 g) to 40 (58.1 g) weeks. The egg quality analyses results showed that the combinations based on the F and K strains had a bright eggshell color, with relatively high egg weights. Eggshell strength and thickness were the highest in the DK combination (3.8 kg/cm², 0.38 mm). In summary, the CF and DK combinations showed excellent egg production ability and egg quality, while the YC, YD, and YK combinations with the Y strain as the paternal strain exhibited poor performance.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2002

Betaine functions as an osmoregulators in the cells and its inclusion in diet can spare the choline and carcass fat reduction in chicken. Thus, two hundred eighty eight laying hens were fed with 0, 500, 1,000, 2,000 ppm of betaine from seventy eight to eighty six weeks of age during the environmentally high temperature stress. Com and soybean basal diets contained 2,800 kcal/kg ME and 16% CP. Egg production, feed intake, and feed conversion were examined for eight weeks. Egg quality characters, serum cholesterol, liver betaine, and lower ileal osmolality were measured at the end of experiment. Egg Production rates of hens fed with 500 or 2,000 ppm of betaine were 75.06 and 75.02%, respectively and tended to increase compared to the control. The feed conversion(FCR) of these treatments was significantly(P<0.05) improved compared to that of control although it did not significantly differ in the e99 Production rates between 500 and 2,000 ppm of betain groups. Eggshell breaking strength of hens fed betaine was significantly(P<0.05) higher than those of control. However, betaine supplements did not influence to improving the albumen height and Haugh unit. Liver betaine in hens fed with betaine was linearly increased unto 2,000 ppm. The birds fed with 2,000 ppm betaine showed significantly(P<0.05) higher in the liver betaine than the control birds. Total cholesterol and triglyceride tended to be increased by dietary betaine supplement. The lower ileal osmolality in betaine supplement group tended to be slightly decreased. As a result, dietary betaine supplement tended to improve the egg Production and eggshell Quality in laying hens during heat stress.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.811-823
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• 2021

Objective: Eggshell color is an important indicator of egg quality for consumers, especially for brown eggs. Various factors related to laying hens and their environment affect brown eggshell coloration. However, there have been no studies investigating hepatic functions of laying hens with variable intensity of brown eggshell color. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify potential factors affecting brown eggshell coloration in aged laying hens at the hepatic transcriptomic level. Methods: Five hundred 92-wk-old Hy-line Brown laying hens were screened to select laying hens with different intensity of brown eggshell color based on eggshell color fans. Based on eggshell color scores, hens with dark brown eggshells (DBE; eggshell color fan score = 14.8) and hens with light brown eggshells (LBE; eggshell color fan score = 9.7) were finally selected for the liver sampling. We performed RNA-seq analysis using the liver samples through the paired-end sequencing libraries. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) profiling was carried out to identify their biological meaning by bioinformatics. Results: A total of 290 DEGs were identified with 196 being up-regulated and 94 being down-regulated in DBE groups as compared to LBE groups. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that these DEGs belong to several biological pathways including herpes simplex infection (toll-like receptor 3 [TLR3], cyclin-dependent kinase 1, etc.) and influenza A (TLR3, radical S-adenosyl methionine domain containing 2, myxovirus [influenza virus] resistance 1, etc.). Genes related to stress response (ceremide kinase like) and nutrient metabolism (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy-kinase 1, methylmalonic aciduria [cobalamin deficiency] cblB type, glycine receptor alpha 2, solute carrier family 7 member 11, etc.) were also identified to be differentially expressed. Conclusion: The current results provide new insights regarding hepatic molecular functions related to different intensity of brown eggshell color in aged laying hens. These insights will contribute to future studies aiming to optimize brown eggshell coloration in aged laying hens.