Table 4.
Effect of dietary Lactobacillus acidophilus supplementation on productive performance of laying hens.
| Trait | L. acidophilus Levels (CFU/kg) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 × 109 | 2 × 109 | 3 × 109 | |
| Initial body weight (g) | 1873.9 ± 1.49 | 1873.3 ± 1.21 | 1872.8 ± 1.16 | 1872.5 ± 1.29 |
| Final body weight (g) | 1889.2 ± 1.09 | 1887.8 ± 1.35 | 1890.0 ± 1.81 | 1887.2 ± 1.47 |
| Egg production (%) | 93.2 ± 0.54 b | 93.6 ± 0.61 b | 93.9 ± 0.42 b | 95.4 ± 0.38 a |
| Egg weight (g) | 61.7 ± 0.41 b | 61.8 ± 0.40 b | 63.4 ± 0.39 a | 63.6 ± 0.34 a |
| Egg mass (g) | 2419.5 ± 25.42 b | 2428.3 ± 31.24 b | 2488.7 ± 23.48 a | 2536.8 ± 31.65 a |
| Feed Intake (g/d) | 131.3 ± 2.44 a | 127.4 ± 2.14 b | 126.6 ± 2.39 b | 128.5 ± 2.33 b |
| Feed conversion ratio (kg feed/kg eggs) | 2.3 ± 0.07 a | 2.2 ± 0.10 ab | 2.1 ± 0.07 b | 2.1 ± 0.10 b |
Data are represented as mean ± standard error (n = 18). a,b Means within the same row with different letters are significantly different (p < 0.05).