Evaluating Brassica napus and Brassica juncea meals with supplemental enzymes for use in brown-egg laying hen diets: production performance and egg quality factors

Abstract

Canola and juncea meals (CM and JM) have been thoroughly evaluated in diets of white- but not brown-shell egg laying hens (BSLH). This study compared the effects of dietary CM, JM, or soybean meal (SBM) on production performance and egg quality of BSLH. Over 48 wk, 300 Lohmann Brown-Lite laying hens were fed diets containing SBM, 10% or 20% CM (CM-10 or CM-20), and 10% or 20% JM (JM-10 or JM-20), without (−E) or with (+E) a phytase/multicarbohydrase enzyme cocktail. Egg weight decreased with CM-20 inclusion compared with SBM (P = 0.027; SBM, 63.1a; CM-10, 61.8ab; CM-20, 61.1b; JM-10, 62.6ab; JM-20, 61.7ab; g egg−1). In a meal by enzyme interaction, enzyme inclusion decreased percent shell and egg specific gravity of only the hens fed CM-20 (P ≤ 0.008). Body weight decreased (P = 0.031; −E, 2135a; +E, 2078b; g hen−1) and feed efficiency was improved (P = 0.032; −E, 1.98a; +E, 1.95b; g feed g egg mass−1) when enzyme was included in the diet. Dietary treatment did not affect mortality (P > 0.05). All performance and quality parameters were within expected ranges; therefore, 20% CM and JM can be included in BSLH diets, and enzyme inclusion can be used to improve feed efficiency regardless of meal type fed.