The effect of apple cider vinegar and mushroom stalk supplementation on laying hens

Abstract

The aim of this trial was to study the effects of consuming water with apple cider vinegar (ACV) and feed including mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) stalk (MS) on performance and certain egg characteristics. The hens were separated into four treatment groups (with 4 replicates and 6 hens per replicate). The experimental groups were control (not consumed ACV and MS), ACV (3 ml/l drinking water), MS (20 g/kg feed) and ACV+MS (combination). At the end of the experiment, among the performance criteria tested, body weight, feed intake, egg production and weight of eggs, and feed efficiency were not affected by the treatments (P>0.05). Treatments had no effect on physical external and internal egg characteristics. The amount of yolk malondialdehyde of the ACV and MS groups was lower than the control group (P<0.05) in stored eggs (28 d) (P<0.05). © 2018, Agricultural Research Communication Centre. All rights reserved.