Influence of herbal calcium supplements on nutrient utilisation, serum mineral concentration and leg health in commercial layers reared under the cage and deep litter systems

This study aimed to evaluate the herbal calcium supplements in commercial layers under cage and deep litter systems of rearing. A total of 240 White Leghorn layers (Bovans) were distributed randomly into 4 different treatments with 4 replicates having 15 birds in each replicate. The basal diet, which consisted of corn and soybean meal, was prepared as a control and fed to birds under cage (T1) and deep litter (T3) system. The other experimental diets (T2 & T4) were prepared by supplementing herbal calcium supplement (Ayucal D @ 9 g/60 birds/day, Ayurvet Limited, India) as a top-up supplement by mixing uniformly in the basal diet for 10 days in every month of the experimental period and fed to birds under cage (T2) and deep litter system (T4). Remaining 20 days every month, the birds in T2 and T4were fed with a basal diet without herbal supplement Ayucal D supplementation and systems of rearing did not influence the nutrient utilisation of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, total ash, metabolisable energy, bone strength and serum mineral concentration. However, the utilisation of calcium and phosphorus improved significantly. The leg health measure scores also significantly improved (P<0.001) in Ayucal D-supplemented birds. Thus, overall results indicated that supplementation of Ayucal D to layer birds reared under cage and deep litter systems improved the nutrient utilisation of dietary calcium and phosphorus without affecting the utilisation of proximate nutrients and energy and thereby improved leg health. Keywords: Ayucal-D, bone strength, cage, deep litter, layers, nutrients