Fontes de fibra na alimentação de poedeiras

Abstract

In this research, a trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of fiber inclusions on old laying hens performance, egg quality, gastrointestinal tract and the cecal microbiota. A total of 648 laying-hens Lohmann® White, from 100 to 110 weeks, were distributed into a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replicates of 27 birds each. The treatments varied according to the fiber sources. The control diet was composed of corn and soybean meal based, without fiber inclusions. In the other treatments, beet pulp, wheat bran or lignocellulose were fed to the hens. The fiber source inclusions did not affect either the egg production or the weight. However, the lignocellulose and wheat bran reduced the birds mortality. There was no fiber source effect on the external and internal egg quality, but the diets with fiber source reduced the yolk color index. The beet pulp inclusion increased the gizzard relative weight, compared to the other treatments, and reduced the Enterobacteriaceae number in the ceca, compared to the lignocellulose inclusion. However, all fiber sources proved to be efficient in suppressing the potentially growth of the pathogenic bacterial family Enterobacteriaceae. We concluded that the fiber source inclusion in the diet for old laying hens bring benefits to the performance and to the cecal microbiota