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A 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was conducted to investigate the effects of iron (Fe, 40, 60, and 80 mg/kg) and Bacillus subtilis (2.5 × 10 9 and 5.0 × 10 9  CFU/kg) supplementation on reproductive performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility, hormone levels, antioxidant indices, and hematological parameters in breeder geese. A total of one hundredtwenty 46-week-old Wulong breeder geese were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments with 4 replicates per treatment and 5 geese per replicate for 10 wk following 1 wk of adaption. Dietary Fe supplementation increased egg weight (P = 0.036), fertility (P = 0.022), serum total antioxidant capacity (P = 0.022), red blood cell (P = 0.001), hematocrit (HCT, P < 0.001), hemoglobin (HGB, P = 0.005), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV, P < 0.001). Dietary B. subtilis supplementation increased egg production (P = 0.025), eggshell thickness (P = 0.020), apparent phosphorus digestibility (P < 0.001), serum follicle stimulating hormone (P = 0.043), total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.001), HCT (P < 0.001), HGB (P < 0.001), and MCV (P = 0.025), and reduced malondialdehyde level (P = 0.008). The birds fed diets supplemented with 60 mg/kg Fe and 5 × 10 9  CFU/kg B. subtilis showed the highest percentage of hatched eggs (P = 0.004) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (P < 0.001) among the 6 groups. Supplementation of 40 and 60 mg/kg Fe significantly increased the apparent digestibility of calcium compared with that of 80 mg/kg Fe in the birds fed 5.0 × 10 9  CFU/kg B. subtilis (P = 0.004). Supplementation with 60 and 80 mg/kg Fe in the birds fed 5 × 10 9  CFU/kg B. subtilis significantly decreased serum urea nitrogen level compared with other 4 groups (P = 0.022). In conclusion, the combination of Fe and B. subtilis effectively improves reproductive performance, eggshell quality, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant status, and hematopoietic function of breeder geese. Dietary addition of 60 mg/kg Fe and 5.0 × 10 9  CFU/kg B. subtilis was an optimum supplementation dose., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of manganese (Mn) and Bacillus subtilis (BS) on the production performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, and gut microbiota of breeding geese during laying period. A total of 120 forty-six-week-old breeding geese (Wulong) were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 treatment diets formulated to supply 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg Mn with 5 × 10 9  CFU/kg or 2.5 × 10 9  CFU/kg BS for a 10-wk trial. Results showed that dietary supplementation with 20 and 30 mg/kg Mn could decrease the daily feed intake (DFI) of geese. Moreover, 30 mg/kg Mn significantly increased the laying rate. Besides, although Mn addition had no obvious effect on egg quality, 5 × 10 9  CFU/kg BS was found to elevate the hatching egg hatching rate and eggshell thickness. For the serum hormones, 30 mg/kg Mn promoted estradiol secretion, while 5 × 10 9  CFU/kg BS increased the level of follicle-stimulating hormone. Furthermore, 20 and 30 mg/kg Mn and 5 × 10 9  CFU/kg BS significantly enhanced the total antioxidant capacity by increasing the activity of total superoxide dismutases or decreasing the content of malondialdehyde. Dietary supplementation with 5 × 10 9  CFU/kg BS also increased the intestinal villus height and upregulated the abundance of Fusobacteria, Fusobacteriaceae, Fusobacterium, and Faecalibacterium in cecal content. In addition, 20 and 30 mg/kg Mn elevated the levels of Bacteroidetes, Bacteroidaceae, Bacteroides, and Ruminococcaceae but decreased Streptococcaceae. Importantly, an interaction effect was observed between Mn and BS on the DFI, egg mass, average egg size, and the abundance of Bacteroides as well as Faecalibacterium. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of Mn and BS could improve the production performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, intestinal structure, as well as gut microbiota. Supplementation of 30 mg/kg Mn and 5.0 × 10 9  CFU/kg BS provided the optimal effect., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin K3 (VK3) supplementation on production performance, egg quality, vitamin K-dependent proteins, and antioxidant properties in breeding geese during the laying period. A total of one hundred twenty 82-wk-old Wulong geese with similar body weights were randomly divided into 6 groups with 4 replicates and 5 geese each (1 male and 4 female). The geese in the control group were fed a basal diet, and the geese in the treatment groups were fed diets supplemented with different levels of VK3 (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, and 12.5 mg/kg) for 11 wk. Dietary VK3 supplementation linearly and quadratically increased feed intake, egg mass, egg weight, and egg production (P < 0.05). Increasing VK3 levels linearly and quadratically increased albumen height, shell thickness and Haugh unit of eggs (P < 0.05). VK3 reduced osteocalcin (OC) and uncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) levels in the serum. Dietary VK3 addition linearly decreased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (P < 0.01). There was linear and quadratic effect in the activity of serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) (P < 0.01), and linear effect in serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (P < 0.01). In conclusion, dietary VK3 supplementation enhanced the production performance, egg quality, vitamin K-dependent proteins, and antioxidant properties in breeding geese during the laying period. The optimal dose of dietary VK3 supplementation was 10.0 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of dietary arginine supplementation on the production performance, serum biochemicals, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of laying Wulong geese. A total of 150 Wulong geese (34-wk old) with similar body weights were randomly divided into 6 groups with 5 replicates and 5 geese each (1 male and 4 female). The geese in the control group were fed a corn-rapeseed meal basal diet, and the geese in the treatment groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5% arginine. The experiment lasted for 17 wk. Our results showed that dietary arginine increased the egg production rate (LR) and average egg weight (AEW) of geese in a quadratic manner (P < 0.05). Dietary arginine had a quadratic effect on the contents of total protein (TP) and triglyceride (TG) (P < 0.05) in the serum. Dietary arginine quadratically decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) (P < 0.05). Dietary arginine supplementation linearly and quadratically increased the contents of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG), and linearly increased the content of nitric oxide (NO) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary arginine supplementation can significantly improve the production performance, serum biochemicals, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of laying Wulong geese. Therefore, 0.3% arginine (actual content: 1.02%) is recommended in the diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]