Effects of Natural-Derived Materials and Microorganisms Derived Materials on Egg Production Performance and Egg Quality in Laying Hen

This study aimed to estimate the efficiency of antimicrobial peptides derived from <i>Bacillus</i> (YSAPB), antimicrobial peptides derived from yeast (APY), and oregano oil (OGO) on egg production performance in hens. A total of 96 thirty-eight-week-old Hy-Line Brown hens were allocated to one of four dietary treatments with four replicates with six birds per cage, following a completely randomized design. On day 7, the inclusion of 0.1% YSAPB in the diet significantly reduced egg weight (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05) and increased feed conversion ratios (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). Conversely, birds fed a diet supplemented with 0.1% OGO showed an increase in egg weight (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05) and a decrease in both eggshell thickness and feed conversion ratios (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05) on day 14. Additionally, on day 14, the dietary addition of 0.1% YSAPB significantly affected yolk color (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). The results of this study suggest that supplementing OGO at a level of 1 g/kg in laying hen feed could improve egg production performance and egg quality in Hy-Line Brown hens. Meanwhile, the application of APY to laying hens did not affect egg production performance and quality, so further research focused on various nature-derived alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in the poultry industry is needed in the future.