Annual Research & Review in Biology

Aims: This study was carried out to evaluate effects of dietary inclusion of ground pits of date palm (DP) (Phoenix dactylifera) supplemented with a bacterial endo-xylanase (Nutrase®) on performance of laying hens, egg quality traits and blood parameters.
Study Design: Data were analyzed based on completely randomized design using GLM procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, 2003).
Place and Duration of Study: All procedures used in this seven-week experiment were approved by the "Animal Ethics Committee of Razi University" and complied with the "Guidelines for the Care and Use of Animals in Research".
Methodology: A total number of 144 Lohmann LSL-Lite hens were randomly divided in 24 cages. Based on a 3×2 factorial arrangement of treatments six iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous experimental diets (ME =2720 Kcal/Kg and CP=15 g/Kg) including: I-corn-soybean meal-based control-1(C1), II-corn-soybean meal-oil-based control-2 (C2), and III-corn-soybean meal-based diet included (240 g/kg DP) with and without enzyme (0.0 and 0.07 g/kg endo-xylanase)(E), were formulated. Data of feed intake (FI), egg production (EP), egg mass (EM) were daily collected, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated weekly. Egg quality traits were evaluated twice on weeks 3 and 7 of trial. Blood parameters were analyzed on week7 of trial.
Results: Dietary treatments did not have significant effect on EP; EM. Dietary inclusion of DP had significant effect on FI and FCR. Among blood parameters only heterophil percentage was affected by dietary inclusion of DP.
Conclusion: Ground pits of date palm can be included in laying hens' diets up to 24% with no adverse effect on EP; however, in terms of feed efficiency, egg shell weight and shell thickness and yolk color more studies in the future are appreciated.