Intestinal microbiome, performance and product quality in brown and white Lohmann layer chickens at the end of the laying phase

Karwan Yaseen Kareem

doi:10.21271/ZJPAS.38.2.7

Authors

Karwan Yaseen Kareem Department of Animal Production and Health, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21271/ZJPAS.38.2.7

Keywords:

Lohmann Brown and White, gut microbiota, aging laying hen, egg production, carcass quality, reproductive performance.

Abstract

In this study, aging effect on gut microbiota, production performance, and product quality in two commercial laying strains Lohmann Brown and Lohmann White under intensive farming system in the Kurdistan Region were evaluated. At 90 weeks of age, a population of 504,000 hens was examined with respect to changes in composition of microbiota, egg production, carcass traits, and reproductive physiology. Inter-strain substantially disparity was demonstrated by the statistical analyses. White Lohmann chickens showed improved feed conversion efficiency and egg production due to a significantly higher abundance of beneficial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in their cecal contents. On the other hand, the Brown Lohmann had a heavier egg, better body weight and carcass yield with better thigh, back muscle rate. Their reduced rate of mortality suggests better tolerance at late production stages. Nevertheless, their cecal microbiota showed an elevated proportion of Enterobacteriaceae, reflecting an unfavorable gut ecology. Reproductive organ assessment showed that White hens displayed more developed ovaries, whereas Brown chickens had larger oviducts, which likely contributed to the larger size of their eggs. Results indicated that viable plate counts and product quality in late life are more spatially associated with gut colonization than with the gut colonization levels determined by strain resistance, overall levels of host health, or the effects of age on the host morphology. These findings justify the use of customized dietary and microbiological strategies in order to ensure longevity of productive performance in aged layer flocks.

References

ALSHELMANI, M. I., EL-SAFTY, S. A., KAIRALLA, M. A. & HUMAM, A. M. 2024. Enzymes in poultry feed. Feed Additives–Recent Trends in Animal Nutrition.

BAHR, J. & JOHNSON, A. 1984. Regulation of the follicular hierarchy and ovulation. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 232, 495-500.

BAIN, M. M., NYS, Y. & DUNN, I. C. 2016. Increasing persistency in lay and stabilising egg quality in longer laying cycles. What are the challenges? British poultry science, 57, 330-338.

CUFADAR, Y., GOLZAR ADABI, S., GÜL, E. & NOLLET, L. 2024. Effects of graded levels of dietary microbial 6-phytase on performance, intestinal histomorphology, caecal microbial population and short-chain fatty acid composition of Lohmann white-classics. British Poultry Science, 65, 595-604.

DONG, A., DING, X., WANG, J., ZENG, Q., BAI, S., LIU, Y., XUAN, Y., LI, S., MU, Y. & PENG, H. 2025. Dietary Pediococcus acidilactici improves the intestinal functions by regulating the expression of intestinal inflammatory genes and intestinal microbiota in aged laying hens at 80–91 weeks of age. Frontiers in Microbiology, 16, 1530319.

DONG, X., AZZAM, M. & ZOU, X. 2017. Effects of dietary threonine supplementation on intestinal barrier function and gut microbiota of laying hens. Poultry Science, 96, 3654-3663.

JHA, R., DAS, R., OAK, S. & MISHRA, P. 2020. Probiotics (direct-fed microbials) in poultry nutrition and their effects on nutrient utilization, growth and laying performance, and gut health: a systematic review. Animals, 10, 1863.

KAREEM, K. Y., LOH, T. C., FOO, H. L., AKIT, H. & SAMSUDIN, A. A. 2016. Effects of dietary postbiotic and inulin on growth performance, IGF1 and GHR mRNA expression, faecal microbiota and volatile fatty acids in broilers. BMC veterinary research, 12, 1-10.

LANGKABEL, N., OSWALDI, V., MERLE, R., FLEISCHHAUER, C., HEINKE, C., ALTER, T., ELLERBOEK, L., FRIES, R. & MEEMKEN, D. 2022. The microbiological and sensory status of dual-purpose chickens (Lohmann Dual), male Lohmann Brown Plus chickens, and conventional laying hens slaughtered in a laying hen abattoir compared to conventional broilers slaughtered in a broiler abattoir. Plos one, 17, e0277609.

MUHAMMAD, A., DALIA, A. & SAMSUDIN, A. 2023. Effect of Selenium-Enriched Bacteria and Other Selenium Sources on Meat Quality Parameters of Mid-Producing Lohman Brown Laying Hens. Malaysian Journal of Animal Science, 26.

OAKLEY, B. B., BUHR, R. J., RITZ, C. W., KIEPPER, B. H., BERRANG, M. E., SEAL, B. S. & COX, N. A. 2014. Successional changes in the chicken cecal microbiome during 42 days of growth are independent of organic acid feed additives. BMC veterinary research, 10, 1-8.

PAN, D. & YU, Z. 2014. Intestinal microbiome of poultry and its interaction with host and diet. Gut microbes, 5, 108-119.

POURABEDIN, M. & ZHAO, X. 2015. Prebiotics and gut microbiota in chickens. FEMS microbiology letters, 362, fnv122.

SUN, B., HOU, L. & YANG, Y. 2021. The development of the gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids of layer chickens in different growth periods. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 666535.

WOLC, A., ARANGO, J., SETTAR, P., O'SULLIVAN, N., OLORI, V., WHITE, I., HILL, W. & DEKKERS, J. 2012. Genetic parameters of egg defects and egg quality in layer chickens. Poultry science, 91, 1292-1298.

YUNIARTI, M., BIDURA, I. & SITI, N. W. 2023. Effect of probiotic supplementation in the diet on the production and physical quality of eggs in laying hens. World J Biol Pharm Health Sci, 15, 138-44.

YUSUF, G., MUTIA, R., WARDANI, W., AKBAR, I. & PUTRI, N. 2023. Performance, Egg Quality, Bone Health, and Immunity Assessments of Lohmann Laying Hens Supplemented with Vitamin D3 in the Diet. Tropical Animal Science Journal, 46, 461-470.