Anna Arczewska-Włosek

National Research Institute of Animal Production | PIB · Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science

Laying hens, selectively bred for high egg production, often suffer from bone fragility and fractures, impacting their welfare and causing economic losses. Additionally, gut health and muscle quality are crucial for overall health and productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ß-Hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on perfo...

In recent years, a supplementation of livestock animals, including poultry, with β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) has gained attention for its effects on protein and fat metabolism. This study investigates the effects of HMB in the laying hen diet on egg quality, focusing on amino acid and fatty acid composition. Laying hens were supplemented with...

A total of 160 Ross 308 male chickens were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design to examine the effects of anticoccidial vaccination (ACV; lack or 1× dose recommended by the manufacturer) and dietary supplementation with Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) extract (DE; with or without) on growth performance, immunity, biochemical parameters, and intestinal...

This study was carried out on 96 caged Bovans Brown laying hens at an initial age of 25 weeks, which were randomly assigned to four experimental groups of 12 replicates (cages) of two hens per cage. The control group hens received a diet containing 20% soybean meal (SBM), without Hermetia illucens larvae meal (HIM) content. The hens in the experime...

A total of 256 male Ross 308 chickens were assigned to four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two levels of the anticoccidial vaccine (ACV) Livacox T (none or 1 × dose) with or without dietary supplementation with the probiotic Protexin® (P). The growth performance parameters for the test periods (1–21, 22–42, and 1–42 d) and oocyst per g...

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether there are negative effects of the partial replacement of white corn with rye along with xylanase supplementation on overall bone quality, eggshell mineralization, and mechanical strength in laying hens. From the 26th week of life, ISA Brown laying hens were fed either a wheat–corn diet or a diet c...

In the current study the hypothesis that 1.0% dietary inclusion of glutamine (Gln), a conditionally essential amino acid that influences protein synthesis and shows anti-osteoporotic effect, can influence eggshell quality was tested on laying hens in the post-peak laying period. A 30-week-old Bovans Brown hens were randomly assigned to control grou...

There is no information regarding whether changes in the microbiological balance of the gastrointestinal tract as a result of an infection with Clostridium perfringens influence the development of metabolic bone disorders. The experiment was carried out on male broiler chickens divided into two groups: control (n = 10) and experimental (n = 10). Th...

The current study tested the hypothesis that 1.0% dietary inclusion of L-glutamine (Gln), an non-essential amino acid that influences protein synthesis, can improve internal egg quality, including amino acids profile. Thirty-week-old Bovans Brown laying hens in their middle laying period were assigned to one of the two experimental groups (12 repli...

The current study investigated the effects of the inclusion of modern hybrid rye (Brasetto variety) to a corn–wheat-based diet, with or without xylanase, on the absorptive surface of the small intestine of broilers. A total of 224 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into four experimental groups with seven replicate cages...

The current study aimed to assess the effects of dietary alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) supplementation to laying hens on the fatty acid (FA) profile and cholesterol levels of the egg yolk at the end of production cycle. The experiment was performed on forty-eight Bovans Brown laying hens randomly assigned to either a control group (CONT) or a group sup...

Sanitary conditions and diet are important elements determining the occurrence of pathogens in animals. The aim of the research was to assess the effect of an experimental diet with rye and xylanase for broiler chickens in cages and in a free-range system on the intestinal microbiome. The study was carried out in two experimental stages, the first...

The aim of the experiment was to assess the effect of dietary alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) supplementation on performance, serum hormonal indices, duodenum and jejunum histomorphometry, meat quality characteristics, bone quality traits and cartilage degradation in laying hens with a mature skeletal system. Forty-eight 30 week-old Bovans Brown laying h...

In this study, the effect of soybean meal substitution by raw chickpea seeds on the thermal properties and fatty acid profile of subcutaneous fat tissue of broiler chickens was examined. The experiment, performed on Ross 308 chickens, lasted for 42 days. Tight subcutaneous fat tissue was analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measur...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of algal oil with very high level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C 22:6n-3 ) used as fat source in the diet for laying hens, on egg yolk lipids fatty acid composition, as well as egg production and egg quality indices, in comparison with other dietary fat sources. The experiment was carried out on 168...

1. The influence of the age of broiler chickens on ileal amino acid (AA) digestibilities in three cereals was examined. The digestibility estimates, including both apparent (AID) and standardised (SID) coefficients, for wheat, triticale and barley samples were determined using 14 and 28 d old broilers of mixed sex, fed diets containing the test gra...

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of caponisation on the morphometric traits and mechanical parameters of tibial and femoral bones in Greenleg Partridge cocks. The experiment involved 200 cocks. At the age of 8 weeks, 100 birds were subjected to surgical castration. At week 24, the birds were slaughtered and tibial and femoral bones...

This study focused on analyzing the effects of inclusion of modern hybrid rye to corn-wheat diet on mechanical properties of bones and tendons. A total of 224 broiler chickens were fed a diet without rye inclusion or a diet containing 15% of hybrid rye cv. Brasetto. The diets were either unsupplemented or supplemented with xylanase (minimum activit...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of dietary hybrid rye on eggs laid by Isa Brown laying hens and their quality, such as physical parameters and nutritional value (basic chemical composition, cholesterol content, fatty acid profile). A total of 72 Isa Brown hens aged 26 weeks were allocated to 3 groups fed with 0%,...

• In this study, 240 ISA Brown hens were fed diets containing different levels of hybrid rye, and the influence of xylanase addition on laying performance and egg quality was evaluated. • Birds were allocated to 10 treatment groups with 12 replicates (cages) of two hens and were fed, from week 26 to 50, isocaloric and isonitrogenous experimental di...

In this paper, we present a study on the evaluation of the effect of xylanase addition to a diet with an increasing content of modern hybrid rye (Brasetto variety) on the performance indices and viscosity of small intestine content in broiler chickens. A total of 560 1-day-old male Ross 308 chickens were randomly assigned to 1 of 10 treatments, eac...

Simple Summary Today the poultry industry is facing mounting pressure to phase out chemoprophylaxis. One of the major threats to the poultry production is coccidiosis, a widespread parasitic disease, commonly controlled by in-feed coccidiostats. The use of immunoprophylaxis with the live anticoccidial vaccines instead of coccidiostats in broiler ch...

The trial with 240 caged ISA Brown laying hens was performed to evaluate the effect of selected feed additives on mineral utilisation as well as biomechanical (breaking strength, yielding load, stiffness) and geometrical (cortex thickness, cross section area, weight, length) indices of tibia and femur bones. At 26 wks of age the layers were randoml...

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD), a condition of inflammation and necrotic lesions on the plantar surface of the footpads, is commonly observed in fast-growing broiler chickens and turkeys. FPD negatively affects the welfare of birds, performance indices and the economic profit of poultry meat production. Nutrition is an important factor affecting water i...

The aim of the experiment with 240 ISA Brown hens fed the diets with standard or decreased Ca level was to evaluate the effect of selected feed additives on laying performance and eggshell quality. The hens were allocated to 10 treatments, each containing 12 cages (replicates) of 2 birds. A 2 x 5 experimental arrangement was used. From 26-70 wks of...

The experiment was designed as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 6 replicate pens per treatment (8 male Ross 308 chicks per pen) conducted from 1 to 42 d of age to evaluate the effect of dietary crude protein level (CP) and herbal extract blend on performance indices, results of slaughter analysis, and oocyst shedding in broilers vaccinated ag...

A high content of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), namely arabinoxylans (AX), in rye is a reason for the potential adverse effect of this grain on intestinal functions, gut microflora, absorption of nutrients and performance indices. As such, the use of rye grain in intensively producing poultry diets is limited. However, recently developed new ty...

Vitamin D plays many important functions in the animal, as it is necessary for proper calcium (Ca) absorption and use in different biological processes. The aim of several recent experiments with poultry was to evaluate the efficacy of different forms and levels of vitamin D3 in the diets for broiler chickens and laying hens. The results of these s...

Cottonseed meal (CSM) is a by-product of the oil industry, i.e. oil extraction from cotton seeds. It is a rich source of protein (30 to 50% dry matter), characterised by a high concentration of amino acids. However, a relatively low concentration of lysine restricts the quality of protein in CSM. Its use as a feed material in poultry nutrition is l...

The aim of this review is to discuss the use of microalgae as a feed ingredient in poultry nutrition. Microalgae are unicellular, photosynthetic aquatic plants. They are introduced to poultry diets mainly as a rich source of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including docohexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acid, but they can also serve as a p...

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of limestone particle size in the diets with different contents of Ca on the biomechanical and geometrical measurements of tibia and femur bones, digestibility of nutrients, and selected biochemical blood variables. The experiment was conducted with 108 laying hens, allocated to 9 treatment...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of particle size of a dietary Ca source on egg production and eggshell quality when added to hens' diets that have different levels of calcium. The experiment was carried out on 216 ISA Brown hens (25 to 70 weeks of age), allocated to 9 groups of 12 replicates (cages), with two birds in each ca...

The aim of this review paper is to present and discuss the current experimental findings describing the effects of dietary oils on the functions of immune cells and the efficacy of different mechanisms of the immune system in poultry and pigs. The majority of experiments of this kind have focussed on dietary sources of n-3 polyunsaturated long-chai...

Distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a coproduct of the ethanol industry, are often used as feed material in livestock and poultry nutrition. Results of many experiments have indicated, however, that a high dietary level of DDGS can negatively affect the digestibility of nutrients and the performance of monogastric animals due to their hi...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of particle size of a dietary Ca source on egg production and eggshell quality when added to hens’ diets that have different levels of calcium. The experiment was carried out on 216 ISA Brown hens (25 to 70 weeks of age), allocated to 9 groups of 12 replicates (cages), with two birds in each ca...

Chitosan is a nontoxic polyglucosamine, widespread in nature, which is deacetylated to varying degrees form of chitin, a component of exoskeleton of shrimps, crabs, and insects. Since chitosan contains reactive functional groups, i.e., amino acids and hydroxyl groups, it is characterised by antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antitumor...

The aim of this study was to investigate, under conditions similar to commercial broiler production, the effect of the herbal extract blend (HE) at a quantity of 1 g per kg feed (200 mg of each herbal extract, Allium sativum, Salvia officinalis, Echinacea purpurea, Thymus vulgaris and Origanum vulgare), used individually or in combination with mann...

The health-promoting properties of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs) for humans are well known. Products of animal-origin enriched with n-3 LCPUFAs can be a good example of functional food, i.e. food that besides traditionally understood nutritional value may have a beneficial influence on the metabolism and health of consumers,...

The land area devoted to the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) plants has increased in recent years: in 2012 such plants were grown on over 170 million hectares globally, in 28 different countries, and are at present used by 17.3 million farmers worldwide. The majority of GM plants are used as feed material for food-producing farm animals. D...

The objective of this review article is to update and discuss the current findings from studies with laying hens on dietary factors that can beneficially affect eggshell quality, with special emphasis on microelements and feed additives. The crucial importance of dietary calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D3 levels and sources for eggshell quality has...

The aim of this review paper is to update, present and discuss the current research findings from recent studies regarding the efficacy of organic sources of microelements in poultry nutrition. Most intensively evaluated in poultry feeding studies have been organic forms, i.e., proteinates and amino acids complexes and chelates, of such microelemen...

The aim of this review paper is to update, present and discuss the current research findings from recent studies regarding the efficacy of organic sources of microelements in poultry nutrition. Most intensively evaluated in poultry feeding studies have been organic forms, i.e., proteinates and amino acids complexes and chelates, of such microelemen...

The changes in the immune function of birds obtained during decades of intensive selection are rather disadvantageous. Today’s chickens and turkeys are more susceptible to different infectious and metabolic diseases and exhibit a high mortality rate. Subsequently in recent years there is growing interest in the use of feed additives with immunomodu...

There has been growing interest in the development of natural methods of coccidiosis prophylaxis. Vaccination against coccidiosis with live oocysts is regarded as effective in the control of avian coccidiosis, but in some conditions, such as poor sanitary management or incorrect application of the vaccine, may lead to poorer performance, measured a...

The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the effect of selected feed additives on performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, and bone characteristics of broiler chickens fed diets containing a high level of corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). A total of 480 one-day-old Ross 308 male chicks were randomly allocated to 1 of 8 t...

An experiment with 192 caged ISA Brown laying hens, fed a diet containing a high level of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), was conducted to determine the influence of selected feed additives on biomechanical and geometrical indices of tibia and femur bones. At 26 weeks of age hens were randomly assigned to 8 treatments with 12 rep...

The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of genetically modified DNA transfer from feed containing RR soybean or/and MON810 maize to animal tissues, gut bacterial flora, food of animal origin, and the fate of GM DNA in the animal digestive tract. The experiment was carried out on broilers, laying hens, pigs and calves. All animals were d...

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of dietary herbal extracts derived from garlic (Allium sativum), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis), oregano (Origanum vulgare), nettle (Urtica dioica), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), or thyme (Thymus vulgaris) on the performance indices and oocyst output in broil...

1. A total of 192 ISA Brown hens were given diets containing a high concentration of maize dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS) and the effect of selected feed additives on laying performance and egg quality was determined. 2. Birds were allocated to 8 treatment groups with 12 replicates (cages) of two hens and were given, from week 26 to...

Histopathological examination of liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, duodenum, jejunum, skeletal muscle, and bursa of Fabricius samples, collected from broiler chickens, laying hens, fattening pigs, and calves fed genetically modified corn MON 810 and soybean meal MON-40-3-2 (Roundup Ready, RR), was performed The examination showed no significant diff...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two levels of whey protein concentrate (WPC, 80.35% protein, 5.86% lactose) added to diets and duration of these treatments on growth and slaughter value, haematological parameters involved in immune processes, oxidative status of liver and breast muscle, and selected indices of gut function of...

Mineral availability is one of the most important concerns in poultry nutrition. In modern, high-producing, meat and laying poultry, mineral metabolism disorders often lead to decreased eggshell quality and osteoporosis in laying hens and bone weakness in broiler chickens. This has negative effects not only on the economic profitability of producti...

An 6-week experiment with broilers was conducted to study the effect of diet supplementation using organic acids on performance, characteristics of the tibia and femur bones, and the calcium, phosphorus and zinc balance. A total of 320, one-day-old, Ross 308 chickens were randomly assigned to 1 of 8 treatments. A 2 x 4 factorial arrangement was use...

The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of supplementing feeds with herbal extract blend containing garlic (Allium sativum), sage (Salvia officinalis), echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and oregano (Origanum vulgare) extracts in broiler chickens experimentally infected with 170.000 sporulated oocys...

Genetically modified (GM) plants constitute an increasingly significant part of the crops available on the feed market. To date, the most common GM plants have been those with enhanced agronomic traits. Known as ‘first-generation transgenic plants’, they are substantially equivalent to materials from conventional, parental plant lines. Recently, in...

An experiment with laying hens was conducted to evaluate the fate in digestive tract of recom- binant cry1a (b) and epsps genes, from genetically modified (gm) insect resistant maize (mon 810) and herbicide tolerant gm soybean meal (roundup ready, mon 40-3-2). in the study the potentiality of transfer of transgenic Dna from gm feed to hen’s tissu...

The aim of the study was to determine the efficiency of adding sodium and chlorine to commer- cial cereal-soybean starter and grower diets with increased potassium content in broiler chickens raised under farm conditions. a total of 4800 day-old hubbard flex broilers were divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates of 200 chickens each and kept in bo...

1. In a 6-week experiment with broilers, the effect of diet supplementation, using prebiotic fructans, on the performance and biomechanical and geometrical parameters of the tibia and femur bones was evaluated. 2. A total of 240, 1-d-old, Ross 308 chickens were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 treatments, each comprising 5 replicate cages, with 8 birds...

The aim of this 3×3 factorial experiment on broilers was to investigate the effect of different dietary levels of potassium and chloride on chicken performance, carcass composition and dry matter content in excreta. 360 one-day-old Ross 308 chickens were allocated to 9 groups, in 5 replications of 8 birds (4 (♂ and 4 C♀). Chickens from 1 to 42 days...

Bovans brown laying hens in their second season of lay (from 81 to 100 weeks of age) were allocated to 8 groups with 18 replicates. Hens were kept in individual cages, at 14l:10d and fed ad libitum. All diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous and contained 4% of rapeseed glycerin (RG), from 2% to 6% of rapeseed expeller cake (REC), and from 5% to...

In total, 360 one-day-old, Ross 308 broiler chickens were allocated to 9 groups in 5 replicates of 8 birds (4 and 4). From the age of 1 to 42 days, the chickens were kept in wire-floored cages in order to facilitate excreta collection, and were provided with water and feed ad libitum. The basal starter (1–14 d) and grower (15–42 d) diets contained...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of rapeseed expeller cake (RC) in the diet of laying hens on egg performance, egg quality, retention and excretion of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus, and metabolizability of energy. The experiment was carried out with 72 Bovans Brown hens, from 28 to 53 weeks of age. Experimenta...

Eggshell quality is one of the most important issues in the poultry industry, influencing the economic profitability of egg production and hatchability. High breaking strength of eggshell and absence of shell defects are essential for pro-tection against the penetration of pathogenic bac-teria such as Salmonella sp. into eggs. It has been estimated...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of organic acids and prebiotic fructans added to the layer's diet on balance of calcium, phosphorus, and zinc. The basal experimental diet contained 3.30% Ca and 0.60% P, and was either unsupplemented or supplemented with additives as follows: 0.75% inulin, 0.75% oligofructose; 0.50% short-chain fatty...

The aim of the 3 × 3 factorial experiment on broilers was to investigate the effect of high dietary levels of potassium (K) and different levels of sodium (Na) on chicken performance, carcass traits, dry matter content in excreta and nitrogen balance. Three hundred and sixty one-day-old Ross 308 chickens were allocated to 9 groups, in 5 replicates...

In an experiment conducted on caged Bovans Brown hens, the effect of diet supplementation using organic acids and prebiotic fructans on the biomechanical and geometrical indicators of the tibia and femur bones was evaluated. At 25 weeks of age, layers were randomly assigned to 14 experimental groups, each comprising 6 hens kept in individual cag...

This study was conducted to examine the effect of dietary rye inclusion and xylanase supplementation on the bone quality of ISA Brown laying hens. Ninety-six laying hens were assigned to four groups: fed with wheat–corn diet or rye–wheat–corn diet (25% of hybrid rye inclusion) or nonsupplemented or supplemented with xylanase (200 mg/kg of feed) for...

The aim of the article was to present results of experiments on the effect of feed additives on the consequences of coccidiosis in poultry. It was concluded, basing on literature data, that probiotics, mannan-oligosaccharides, betain and some herbal extracts may be effective in alleviating the severity of coccidiosis in poultry. The mode of action...

Cossidiosis is a disease which causes considerable economic losses in poultry production. The expected ban on the use of anticoccidial drugs in feeds resulted in research being initiated on alternative strategies for coccidiosis control. The article reviews the effect of chosen nutrients and their dietary levels on the alleviation of coccidiosis co...

The dual-purpose egg-meat type crossbreed chickens were tested for its performance and growth potential during 12 weeks of feeding. 350 one day 41 g chickens (175 ♂ and 175 ♀) of cross ♂ Barret Rock x ♀ New Hampshire were kept without outdoor access and fed a diet composed of feedstuffs allowed to ecological production. Diet contained no coccidiost...