Effects of increasing concentrations of corn distillers dried grains with solubles on chemical composition and nutrient content of egg.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding high concentrations of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on chemical composition and selected nutrient content of egg yolk. Four isocaloric diets were formulated to contain 0, 17, 35, or 50% corn DDGS. A total of two hundred forty 54-wk-old Single-Comb White Leghorn laying hens were randomly allotted to 2 birds per cage with 3 consecutive cages representing an experimental unit (EU). Each EU was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments according to a completely randomized design. Hens were fed for a 24-wk experimental period after transition feeding to gradually increase corn DDGS inclusion over a 4-wk period. Two sets of experimental diets were formulated to meet or exceed the NRC nutrient recommendations for laying hens. Each diet formula was fed for 12 wk. Chemical composition and nutritional components in egg yolk were measured every 2 wk. The results showed that egg yolk from hens fed a DDGS-containing diet tended to have higher fat content and lower protein content. Total polyunsaturated fatty acids were significantly increased by the DDGS diet. The contents of choline and cholesterol were initially higher in the 50% DDGS treatment group, but were not different in the later period, especially during the last 4 wk. Lutein content increased linearly as DDGS level increased. The results indicated that feeding a high level of DDGS can increase the content of lutein and polyunsaturated fatty acids in egg yolk, but may not affect the content of cholesterol and choline.

Effects of increasing concentrations of corn distillers dried grains with solubles on the egg production and internal quality of eggs.

A study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding high concentrations of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on egg production and the internal quality of eggs from laying hens. Four diets were formulated to contain 0, 17, 35, or 50% corn DDGS. A total of two hundred forty 54-wk-old Single-Comb White Leghorn laying hens were randomly allotted to 2 birds per cage with 3 consecutive cages representing an experimental unit (EU). Each EU was assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments according to a completely randomized design. Hens were fed for a 24-wk experimental period after transition feeding to gradually increase corn DDGS inclusion over a 4-wk period. Two sets of experimental diets were formulated, and each diet was fed for 12 wk. Egg production, feed consumption, egg component, yolk color, Haugh unit during storage times, and shell breaking strength were measured. Egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, and feed efficiency were adversely affected by the highest level of DDGS in the diet (50%) during the first 12-wk period. Once diets were reformulated to include an increased concentration of both lysine and methionine, differences among the dietary treatments were reduced, as the performance of the 50% DDGS diets was greatly improved. Over the last 6 wk of study, no differences in egg production, egg weight, and feed intake among DDGS treatments were found. The DDGS diets positively affected the internal quality of eggs during storage. Improved yolk color and Haugh unit were observed as the dietary DDGS levels increased, but the increase for Haugh unit was significant only when the DDGS level was 50%. Shell weight percentage was increased in the 50% DDGS diet, but no differences in yolk and albumen percentage were observed. It was concluded that up to 50% of DDGS could be included in the layer's diet without affecting egg weight, feed intake, egg mass, feed efficiency, and egg production as long as digestible amino acids were sufficient in DDGS-added diets.