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Effects of the Use of a Combination of Two Bacillus Species on Performance, Egg Quality, Small Intestinal Mucosal Morphology, and Cecal Microbiota Profile in Aging Laying Hens

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Abstract

Sixty-week-old Hy-Line brown laying hens were randomly divided into five groups and fed different diets over a period of 84 days. Experimental treatments included a basal diet (control); the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 106B. licheniformis yb-214245; the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 106B. subtilis yb-114246; a combination of both strains in a 2:1 ratio (6.6 × 105:3.3 × 105B. licheniformis yb-214245:B. subtilis yb-114246); and the latter, added with 5 mg/kg flavomycin. Basal diet supplementation with the combined Bacillus species improved egg-laying performance in aging hens significantly (P < 0.05). Eggshell strength improved significantly with this treatment, compared to the control or the antibiotic-supplemented groups (P < 0.05). The levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in egg yolk declined significantly more in the Bacillus-treated group than in the control or the antibiotic-supplemented groups (P < 0.01). Small intestinal morphology was better in the hens treated with the Bacillus combination than in the hens in the control group (P < 0.05). The total number of aerobic bacteria (Bacillus, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium) in the cecum was significantly higher in all the Bacillus-supplemented hens than either in the control or the antibiotic-supplemented hens (P < 0.01); additionally, the number of E. coli and Salmonella was significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.01). In conclusion, diet supplementation with the combination of Bacillus species used here for aging laying hens improved their growth performance, cecal bacterial composition, egg quality, and small intestine morphology.

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Funding

The work was supported by the fund of the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui province (No. 1708085QC72), the National System for Layer Production Technology of China (No. CARS-40-K21), and the State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition (No.2004D125184f1703). The funders had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Product Safety Engineering, Anhui Academy of Agriculture Science, No. 40 of Nongke South Road, Hefei City, 230031, Anhui Province, China

    Jiajun Yang & Kai Zhan

  2. State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yuanminyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100094, People’s Republic of China

    Jiajun Yang & Minhong Zhang

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  1. Jiajun Yang
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  2. Kai Zhan
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  3. Minhong Zhang
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Contributions

The contribution of the authors was as follows: JY and KZ designed the study; JY isolated and cultured B. licheniformis yb-214245 and B. subtilis yb-114246, fed the hens and recorded the growth data, and wrote the paper; WL measured the egg quality; and MZ was involved in technical direction.

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Correspondence to Kai Zhan or Minhong Zhang.

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The experimental protocols in this study including animal husbandry and slaughter were approved by the Institution of Animal Science and Welfare of Anhui Province (No. IASWAP2017030319).

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Yang, J., Zhan, K. & Zhang, M. Effects of the Use of a Combination of Two Bacillus Species on Performance, Egg Quality, Small Intestinal Mucosal Morphology, and Cecal Microbiota Profile in Aging Laying Hens. Probiotics & Antimicro. Prot. 12, 204–213 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-019-09532-x

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