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Table 3 Effects of dietary treatments on egg size of laying hens from 20 to 52 weeks of age

From: Performance, biochemical and haematological responses, and relative organ weights of laying hens fed diets supplemented with prebiotic, probiotic and synbiotic

Percentage of eggs with specific egg size (%)

Dietary treatment

 

Control

PRE

PRO

SYN

20–36 weeks of age

 XL

4.69 ± 0.96

7.60 ± 3.23

7.30 ± 1.65

7.70 ± 3.82

 L

30.31 ± 7.50b

34.85 ± 7.08b

41.96 ± 5.15b

46.62 ± 5.31a

 M

52.31 ± 5.01a

46.55 ± 2.63b

43.42 ± 3.79b

38.13 ± 3.24c

 S

12.69 ± 1.27a

11.00 ± 0.11ab

7.32 ± 2.06c

7.55 ± 2.38bc

37–52 weeks of age

 Jumbo

2.04 ± 0.59

2.83 ± 0.44

2.69 ± 0.76

2.85 ± 0.59

 XL

12.67 ± 3.24b

20.20 ± 2.61a

20.41 ± 3.97a

20.66 ± 3.50a

 L

57.17 ± 5.43b

60.23 ± 4.70a

63.57 ± 3.30a

62.68 ± 4.91a

 M

28.13 ± 4.50a

16.74 ± 3.19b

13.32 ± 1.68b

13.81 ± 1.73b

  1. Data represent mean ± SD of four replicates of 10 hens each
  2. a-cMeans within a row with different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05)
  3. Control, basal diet; PRE, basal diet +1% IMO; PRO, basal diet +0.1% PrimaLac®; SYN, basal diet +1% IMO + 0.1% PrimaLac®
  4. Jumbo (>70.88 g); XL, Extra Large (63.79–70.87 g); L, Large (56.70–63.78 g); M, Medium (49.60–56.69 g); S, Small (42.50–49.59 g)