Effects of Sorghum Distillery Residue Supplemented with Ocimum gratissimum on Erythrocyte Profiles, Egg Traits, and Immunity of Laying Hens

To determine if sorghum distillery residue (SDR) is a viable substitute for corn or soybean meal while maintaining the production traits in laying hens, two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of SDR on the erythrocyte profiles, egg traits, and immunity of laying hens. In Experiment 1, 36 white Leghorn hens were divided into three treatment groups, namely, the control (corn-soybean basal diet, 0% SDR), 15% SDR, and 30 % SDR groups. Results revealed no significant differences in body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, egg production, and panel scores among the groups. Although yolk color decreased with increasing SDR levels, the 30 % SDR treatment group exhibited higher Haugh units of egg interior quality. Given that Ocimum gratissimum (OG), a folk medicine, is rich in xanthophyll carotenoids considered to produce yolk color, 32 hens in Experiment 2 were divided into four treatment groups, namely, the control (corn-soybean basal diet), 30 % SDR with 0 % OG, 30% SDR with 0.04% OG, and 30% SDR with 0.2% OG groups. No significant differences were determined in body weight gain, feed intake, eggshell strength, and yolk weight among the treatments. Although egg production linearly decreased with OG levels, egg weight, yolk color, and IgM concentration were all increased by OG supplementation. These findings suggested that SDR supplemented with OG in isocaloric and isonitrogenous diet may decrease the number of eggs produced but increase the quality of those eggs; thus, it is suitable for laying hens. This study confirms the diverse applications of herbs in physiology.