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Effects of toxic and non‐toxic blue mussel meal on health and product quality of laying hens
Author(s) -
Jönsson L.,
Holm L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1439-0396
pISSN - 0931-2439
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2009.00922.x
Subject(s) - mussel , blue mussel , mytilus , biology , yolk , meal , food science , meat and bone meal , animal feed , methionine , okadaic acid , fish meal , zoology , fishery , biochemistry , amino acid , phosphatase , phosphorylation , fish <actinopterygii>
Summary Blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis ) are a potential protein source in poultry feeds because of their high methionine and cystein content. However, mussels may temporarily be contaminated with the toxin, okadaic acid. The aim of this small scale study was to evaluate the effects on animal health and morphology of the digestive tract of laying hens fed three different diets; a commercial feed and diets containing 15% normal or 15% toxic mussel meal, i.e. a concentration of 198.6 μg toxin per kg feed. Twelve laying hens were divided into six groups and fed the experimental diets for 8 weeks. Animal health, production performance and egg quality were recorded. At sacrifice, tissue samples were prepared for histological evaluation using light microscopy. Okadaic acid did not have any adverse effects on animal health or production parameters and no histological changes indicating disturbances in the digestive tract was observed. Internal egg quality was improved as eggs from hens fed either of the two mussel meal diets had an increased yolk colour. These results show that mussel meal functions as a novel protein source for laying hens and those toxic mussels at this level may be included in the feed without negative effects on parameters evaluated in this study.