Effect of Chinese herbal-probiotics compounds on production performance and ovarian function of Hyline brown laying hens.

The experiment was to study the effect of two different Chinese Herbal-probiotics compounds on the production performance and ovarian function of laying hens. A total of 450 fifty-week-old Hyline brown laying hens with similar 1aying rates and body weights were randomly divided into five groups with six replicates in each group and 15 chickens in each replicate. The laying hens in the control group (CK group) were fed a basal diet, and the F1-1 group and F1-2 group were supplemented with 1‰ and 2‰ Chinese herbal-probiotics compound 1 (F1, composed of Astragalus, Radix Isatidis, Epimedium, etc. and probiotics) in the basal diet. The F2-1 group and F2-2 group were supplemented with 1‰ and 2‰ Chinese herbal-probiotics compound 2 (F2, composed of Angelica, Rehmannia, motherwort, etc. and probiotics) in the basal diet, respectively. The pre-test period was 7 days, and the formal test period was 21 days. The results showed that the feed to egg ratio of the F1-2 group was significantly lower than that of the CK group ( P<0.05), and the Huff unit, egg shape index, and eggshell thickness of eggs have all been improved. Compared with the CK group, the serum levels of progesterone (P4) and luteinizing hormone (LH) of laying hens in the F1-2 group increased by 77.20% and 58.02%, respectively (P<0.05). Compared with the CK group, the serum IL-2 content of laying hens in the F1-2 group, F2-1 group and F2-2 group was decreased by 24.54%, 29.88% and 27.25% (P<0.05), and the serum IgG content of laying hens in the F1-2 group was increased by 19.64% (P<0.05). The study indicates that two different Chinese herbal-probiotics compounds can improve the production performance and egg quality of laying hens, promote the secretion of ovarian reproductive hormones, improve the ovarian function, reduce the inflammatory reaction in laying hens, and improve immunity, and the effect of adding 2‰ Chinese herbalprobiotics compound 1 is better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]