EFFECT OF GUM ARABIC ON EGG PRODUCTION AND SOME BLOOD CONSTITUENTS OF LAYING HENS UNDER HOT SUMMER CONDITIONS IN EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Poultry Prod, Dept., Fac. Agric., Mansoura Univ., Mnsoura

2 Anim. Prod. Res. Inst., Agric. Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Cairo

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of inclusion of Gum Arabic (GA) levels  in laying hen diets on egg production, egg quality and some blood parameters under summer conditions in Egypt.
One hundred and twenty Mamourah hens of 28 weeks of age  were allotted at random among four experimental groups (30 birds in each group). The first group was fed the control diet , while groups 2, 3 and 4 were fed on the control diet included with 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5% of Gum Arabic for 12 weeks during summer season.
The results revealed that productive performance as final body weight, egg production, and feed conversion were significantly improved (P≤0.05 ) by different levels of GA inclusion in the diets, while, feed consumption and egg weight were slight increased by GA inclusion compare with the control group. Egg shell % and shell thickness were highly significant (P≤0.05) in groups fed diets included with Gum Arabic  compared to the control group.  Significant (p≤ 0.05) increase in Ca and P were also noticed in blood plasma and egg yolk. Increasing the level of the Gum Arabic (from 0.5 – 1.5 %) in laying hen diet significantly (p ≤ 0.05) reduced plasma cholesterol concentration and consequently eggs with lowered yolk cholesterol were obtained. The concentration of  total protein, albumin, globulin, calcium and phosphorus in the plasma  were significantly (P≤ 0.01) higher in groups fed diets included with GA especially group 4 which containing 1.5 % Gum Arabic.
  Evidently, it is concluded that GA inclusion in laying hen diets could improve egg production, final body weight, egg shell thickness and some blood constituents in Mamourah hens under high ambient temperature in Egypt.

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