Effects of Diets on Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome (FLHS)

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of fermentation by-products and oats on production parameters and Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome in caged laying hens. Also tested in this study was the effect of force-feeding at 120% of normal intake f or experimentally producing FLHS. The first experiment was conducted with sixty hens on three diets at twenty birds per diet of Corn and soybean meal were used as the chief energy and protein sources in diet l. For diet 2, 10% of a product containing distillers dried grain (30%) with corn distillers solubles (70%) was added, and in diet 3, oats and soybean meal were used as the chief energy and protein sources. Data were recorded on production, mortality and feed consumption for each of seven periods of 28 days. The data from Experiment one showed that distillers dried grain can be used satisfactorily in layer diets. In Experiment 2, 50% of the birds on each diet were force-fed at 120% of the normal intake for a period of three weeks by the method described by Wolford and Polin (1972c). The rest continued to be fed on an ad libitum basis. The experimental data showed that force-feeding at 120% of the normal intake was satisfactory for experimentally producing FLHS. The liver lipid contents of the force-fed birds were three times as high as their normal counterparts. Egg production was reduced significantly in the force-fed birds. The ferment at ion by-product was found to have little beneficial effect in preventing FLHS. However, oats showed a significant effect in reducing liver fat content and hemorrhage, thereby preventing the disease. Gross pictures of the livers show different color variations which corresponded with their lipid content. The lesser the lipid content, the darker the color of the liver. Microscopically (both light and electron), the most discernible difference found between the fatty and normal livers was the size of the fat droplets, thereby indicating the amount of fat infiltration. The main objectives of this experiment were: (1) To measure the effect of a fermentation by-product and oats on egg production and liver parameters; and (2) To measure the effect of superimposing FLHS on the above by force-feeding at the rate of 120% of the control intake for three weeks