Eggshell problems derived from heat stress

Eggshell quality can be affected by multiple factors. This article focuses on eggshell problems derived from calcium deficiency and heat stress, a frequent problem during warm seasons.

The eggshell is mainly composed of calcium carbonate, and it is estimated that a laying hen secretes approximately 600 grams of calcium during its laying period to form the eggshell, which is thirty times the amount of calcium present in its body.

This fact shows the high calcium requirements of a commercial laying hen, which are covered through calcium intestinal absorption, bone resorption and reduction of the renal excretion of calcium. For this reason, it is important to:

The deficiency of calcium may lead to a worse quality of the skeleton and the eggshell, that can derive to cage layer fatigue syndrome and an increase in the rate of broken eggs.

There are two specific situations where hens can suffer from calcium deficiency, which are intestinal dysbiosis and heat stress periods.

Birds hyperventilate (increase their respiratory frequency) to reduce their body temperature. This causes low CO₂levels in blood. To compensate it, birds decompose part of the bones to obtain carbonates and restore the blood levels. Those carbonates are in form of calcium carbonate, so both compounds move together to the blood flow. This process leads to a decrease of calcium storages in the bones, which will be necessary during the laying period.

 

Therefore, heat stress situations end up, indirectly, to problems with the eggshell quality. In Southeast Asia, with characteristic warm climate, heat stress is a frequent problem if the facilities cannot regulate the environmental temperature.

The strategy to avoid eggshell problems derived from calcium deficiency should be a combination of:

Maximization of the calcium absorption in the intestine and avoid bone decomposition with specific products designed with this target, such as Alquerfeed Layers.

Alquerfeed Layers, developed by Biovet S.A., is a specific solution to counteract the consequences of heat stress. It is an oral solution based on the combination of minerals, vitamins and active compounds of plant origin, called mineral conditioner pronutrients.

The use of Alquerfeed Layers in the drinking water offers an additional and continuous supply of calcium to that of the diet, vital in high demand periods, carbonates to avoid the loss of calcium reserves, and mineral conditioner pronutrients that maximize the absorption capacity of calcium of the gut.

The combination of ingredients in Alquerfeed Layers allows to maintain the internal balance of the birds, to prevent the occurrence of fractures and the cage fatigue syndrome, as well as to improve the quality of the eggshell and reduce the problems of broken eggs. This way, the laying process is optimized, and the eggshell quality is improved, allowing to extend the laying peak and to slow down the decrease after the peak of production.

In a farm of 76 weeks-old laying hens suffering from high broken egg rates because of heat stress, the application of Alquerfeed Layers at 0.5 ml/L achieved to reduce the percentage of broken eggs by 56% after 5 days of administration. The use of the product was maintained for two additional weeks (where farm was still suffering from extreme temperatures), and the product achieved to stabilize the broken egg rate by a 64% lower than the critic levels observed before the trial, consolidating the efficacy of this solution.

In another farm, Alquerfeed Layers was used after the peak of production (<80% of the laying rate)and slowed down the decrease in the laying rate, obtaining a 2.6% greater persistence compared to the use of similar products.

Farming conditions in Southeast Asia, which may not dispose of the proper ventilation, together with the warm climate of the region, may predispose hens to suffer from eggshell quality problems derived from heat stress situations.

Biovet S.A. has designed a Alquerfeed Layers for this purpose, a high-quality nutritional supplement intended to supply the necessary ingredients to maximize the calcium absorption, avoid its excretion and give an additional calcium source in ­the drinking water to optimize the egg production and the eggshell quality.

The use of the product in commercial laying farms reduced the broken eggs rate by more than 60% during heat stress periods and improved the persistence of the laying rate after the peak of production, which clearly demonstrates that this product has a positive impact on the economy of the farms.