Chitosan-oligosaccharides (COS) are widespread throughout nature, a deacetylated form of chitin. Since COS has reactive functional collections such as amino acids and hydroxyl groups, it has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune-stimulating, and hypocholesterolemic characteristics. Chitosan revealed a growth-promoting impact and can be utilized as a successful replacement for growth-promoting antibiotics based on the previously established positive effects.
This experiment aimed to ascertain whether adding chitosan-oligosaccharides (COS) to the diet will affect Mandarah laying hens' productivity and reproductive efficiency. At the age of 34 weeks, 120 laying hens and 12 cocks of the Mandarah chicken strain were separated into four groups, each consisting of 30 hens and three cocks. The 1st group served as a control group, receiving only a basic diet. The 2nd, 3rd , and 4th experimental groups received 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 g/kg of chitosan-oligosaccharides as an addition to the base diet, respectively.
Comparing the COS-treated birds to the control birds, the COS-treated birds significantly increased egg production, improved feed conversion, haugh unit score, shell thickness, fertility, hatchability, ovary weight, and the number of yellow ovarian follicles as well as blood estradiol- 17β (E2) and testosterone concentrations. It is concluded that chitosan improves economic efficiency, reproductive performance, productivity in laying hens, and overall health when used at a 0.1 g/kg diet.
Table 1. Effects of dietary chitosan oligosaccharides supplementation on fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick weight at the hatching of Mandarah laying hens from 34-50 weeks of age (means ± SE)
Reference:Influence of dietary chitosan-oligosaccharides supplementation on productive and reproductive performance of laying hens