Betaine as an alternative feed additive to choline and its effect on performance, blood parameters, and egg quality in laying hens rations

This research aimed to evaluate how using betaine levels as a choline substitute affects pro-ductive performance, egg quality parameters, fatty acids profile, and antioxidant status in laying hens. One hun-dred and forty brown chickens, 45 wk old, were divided into 4 groups, each group of 7 replicates with 5 chickens per replicate. The first group of diets with choline has control (A) 100% choline, the second group (B) 75% choline + 25% betaine, the third group (C) 50% choline + 50% betaine, and the fourth group (D) received 100% betaine. No significant effects were observed in final body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), egg production (EW), and feed intake (FI) for laying hens. In the diet in which betaine was replaced choline, egg mass (EM) and egg weight (EW) increased compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Also, after 12 wk of feeding, the egg quality parameters were not influenced; however, yolk color was increased signifi-cantly compared with the control group. Serum total cholesterol, LDL-lipoprotein, HDL-lipoprotein, triglyceride, glucose, aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) were not affected by replacing choline with betaine. Furthermore, liver malondialdehyde (MDA) content, yolk vitamin E, and fatty acid levels were not significantly affected by replacing choline with betaine. Moreover, hens fed betaine displayed an increased antibody titer of the Newcastle disease (ND) virus. EW and EM were increased by 3.50% and 5.43% in 100% betaine group (D) when compared to the control group. Isthmus weight was decreased by 48.28 % in 50% choline + 50% betaine group (C) when compared to the control group. ND was increased by 26.24% in 100% betaine group when compared to the control group. In conclusion, betaine supplementation positively affected productive performance, egg quality measurements, and immunity response in Bovans brown laying hens.

Automated summary

This research evaluated the effects of using betaine as a substitute for choline on the productive performance, egg quality parameters, fatty acids profile, and antioxidant status in laying hens. The results showed that replacing choline with betaine did not significantly affect body weight, egg production, and feed intake. However, egg weight and egg mass increased, and yolk color improved in the group supplemented with betaine. The levels of various blood parameters, liver malondialdehyde content, yolk vitamin E, and fatty acid levels were not significantly affected by betaine supplementation. Additionally, hens fed betaine displayed an increased antibody titer for Newcastle disease virus.