Effect determination of in ovo injection of bovine lactoferrin before incubation in layer breeder eggs on strength and tissue characteristics of tibia and performance after hatch

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This study was designed to survey lactoferin effect (LF) on strength, tissue characteristics of tibia and performance in laying hens. A total of 1080 layer -breeder fertile eggs were divided into four treatments with 3 replicates, each treatment comprising 90 eggs; control treatment was injected with 100 μL of normal saline per egg; 2, 3 and 4 treatments including 22.5 (low), 45 (medium), and 67.5 (high) μg of LF in 100 μL of normal saline per egg respectively. Eggs were incubated, then healthy chicks were reared to 28 wk of age. In this study, tibia weight, at hatch, was numerically better in eggs injected with LF than the control (p>0.05). Further strength in the bones of LF treatments, is merely reflection of difference in the tibia cortical thickness and is not related to bone atrophy in the intra diameter of haversian canals. Egg weights from hens treated with high concentration of LF were also significantly greater than the control (p<0.05). The results of the present study show that tibia cortical thickness could be a suitable variable for evaluating bone status. The present study also shows that there is a middle correlation (r =0.49, p<0.01) between the tibia cortical thickness and the bone strength.

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