ORIGINAL PAPER
The effect of tetraploid Robinia pseudoacacia leaf meal on performance, egg quality, and nutrient digestibility in laying hens
More details
Hide details
1
Beijing Forestry University, National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
2
Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, College of Horticulture Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066600, P.R. China
3
Beijing Forestry University, College of Forestry, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
Publication date: 2013-11-12
Corresponding author
Y. Li
Beijing Forestry University, National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2013;22(4):354-359
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
A 60-day feeding experiment was conducted to study the effects
of including 0, 20, 40, or 60 g · kg–1 leaf meal of tetraploid Robinia pseudoacacia
(TRLM) in diets on performance, egg quality, and apparent nutrient and amino
acid digestibility of hens. Egg mass and egg weight were both higher when
feeding 40 g · kg–1 TRLM than the other three diets, the egg shape index linearly
increased (P < 0.05). No significant effects of diet were seen on the other
hen performance or egg quality parameters. Apparent nutrient and amino acid
digestibilities increased at first and subsequently decreased with increasing
inclusion of the foliage, but no significant differences were observed in dry matter
or glycine. Digestibility of crude protein, ether extract, gross energy and acid
detergent fibre increased up to 20 g · kg–1 TRLM and subsequently decreased,
and similar trends were observed for 13 amino acids, but the digestibility of
neutral detergent fibre decreased up to 40 g · kg–1 TRLM and subsequently
increased. A significant linear decrease (P < 0.05) in the digestibility of proline
was observed with increasing inclusion of TRLM into the diets. Tetraploid Robinia
pseudoacacia leaf meal could be a potential supplementary protein source
in laying hen diets at inclusion levels not exceeding 60 g · kg–1.