Table 4.
Tibia ash percent, duodenum villi height and crypt depth, and serum alpha 1 acid glycoprotein and IgY concentrations in laying hens fed a diet supplemented with 0.00 or 0.25% AZOMITE from 54 to 98 wk of age (Experiment 2)1.
| Parameter and hen age | Dietary treatment |
SEM (diet) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00% AZ | 0.25% AZ | ||
| Tibia ash at 98 wk (%) | 52.4 | 54.5** | 0.48 |
| Villi height at 98 wk (nm) | 1,822 | 1,747 | 69.7 |
| Crypt depth at 98 wk (nm) | 167 | 145 | 7.8 |
| Villi height to crypt depth ratio at 98 wk | 11 | 12 | 0.5 |
| AGP2 (mg/mL) | |||
| Start of experiment (54 wk) | 1.12b | 1.37b | 0.204 |
| Before start of molt (70 wk) | 1.38b | 1.18b | 0.178 |
| End of molt (73 wk) | 2.75a | 2.54a | 0.232 |
| SEM (age) | 0.201 | 0.211 | |
| IgY (mg/mL) | |||
| Start of experiment (54 wk) | 109 | 131 | 12.0 |
| Before start of molt (70 wk) | 106 | 114 | 10.7 |
| SEM (age) | 11.6 | 11.1 | |
1
The values are means for 24 individual hens for each treatment. *Values differ from the corresponding control value for a given parameter (**P < 0.01). a,bValues within a column with different superscripts differ for a given age, (P < 0.001).
2
AGP = alpha 1 acid glycoprotein, AZ = Azomite.