The Effects Of Fermented Feed Combined With Attapulgite On Performance,Antioxidant And Liver Damage Of Broiler Breeders

Background: Broiler breeders are susceptible to metabolic pathological changes due to the influence of high density intensive breeding and residual mycotoxins.From July 2020,feed producers in China will no longer be able to produce commercial feeds containing growth-promoting pharmaceutical feed additives,so the broiler breeding industry needs feed additives that can replace antibiotics and improve physiological status and performance.Attapulgite(ATP)is a kind of water-bearing magnesium aluminum silicate mineral with a chain layered structure,which can absorb harmful substances such as zoralenone and gossypol.At the same time,it also has antibacterial and intestinal protection functions.Fermented feed is a single feed or mixed feed produced by fermentation engineering technology using intestinal probiotics recognized by national standards,which is rich in probiotics and its metabolites and can improve the homeostasis of microorganisms in the intestinal tract of animals.Objective: This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary ATP and fermented feed on performance,egg quality,reproductive performance,intestinal morphology,antioxidant capacity and serum biochemical indices of broiler breeders during middle and late laying periodMethods: A total of 480 Arbor Acres(AA)female broiler breeders at 32 weeks of age with similar laying rate were randomly divided into 4 groups with 10 replicates per group and 12 broilers per replicate using 2×2 two-factor random design method.The control group was fed a basal diet,the experimental group 1(fermented feed group)was fed a basal diet +3%fermented feed,the experimental group 2(ATP group)was fed a basal diet +1%ATP,and the experimental groups 3(fermented feed +ATP group)were fed a basal diet +3% fermented feed +1%ATP.The pre-experiment lasted for 7 days and the experiment lasted for 60 days.After the experiment,slaughter was conducted and serum and tissue samples were collected for laboratory analysis.The results are as follows:(1)The average egg number in fermented diet +ATP group was significantly higher than that in control group(P < 0.05).(2)There were no significant differences in egg quality,reproductive performance and small intestinal morphology between fermented diet group and ATP group compared with control group(P > 0.05).(3)Fermented diet and ATP significantly increased liver organ index.HE staining showed that fermented diet and ATP improved liver steatosis and vacuolar degeneration of broiler breeders.(4)Compared with the control group,the content of malondialdehyde in fermented feed group and ATP group was significantly decreased(P < 0.01);The total superoxide dismutase activity in ATP group was significantly higher than that in control group(P < 0.01).Catalase activity in ATP group was significantly higher than that in control group(P < 0.05),but also higher than that in other groups.(5)ALT activity in experimental group was decreased,but there was no significant difference(P > 0.05);The AST activity of ATP group,fermented diet group and fermented diet +ATP group was significantly decreased compared with control group(P < 0.05).Conclusion: In this experiment,the combination of fermented feed and ATP improved the performance of broiler breeders,but had no significant effect on egg quality,hatching performance and small intestine morphology of broiler breeders.The fermented diet and ATP can significantly reduce the content of MDA,and ATP can significantly increase the activities of SOD and CAT,so as to enhance the antioxidant capacity of the body,reduce the influence of oxidative stress on the liver of broiler breeders,and achieve the effect of improving or alleviating liver injury.