| Livestock Research for Rural Development 29 (8) 2017 | Guide for preparation of papers | LRRD Newsletter | Citation of this paper |
The research aimed to study the use of eggshells from hatcheries as a source of calcium in diets and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), calcium (Ca), total phosphorus (P) and serum calcium in nursery pigs. Thirty (fifteen males and fifteen females) crossbred pigs (Large White x Landrace x Duroc Jersey) with an average initial body weight of 11.5 kg were allotted to a randomized block design (RCBD) with three treatments (diets) and five replications of each treatment. Every replication of each treatment consisted of one male and one female. The experimental diets were: limestone as calcium source and limestone replaced with eggshell at 50% and 100%. The observation period was for 35 days; serum calcium was measured before starting and at the end of the experiment. DM digestibility was determined on the last 5 days of the experiment.
There were no differences in serum calcium between treatment groups. Apparent digestibility of DM, calcum and phosphorus also did not differ among treatments.
Keywords: byproducts, limestone, Zelite®
Thailand has been producing around 15,000 million eggs per year (The Association of hen-egg farmers, traders and exporters 2015). The hatchery factory processing plants are located in every part of Thailand. Eggshells from hatcheries represent 75,000 tonnes per year within Thailand. These residues are eliminated by landfill for which the cost is increasing.
This research aimed to study the use of eggshells from hatcheries as a source of calcium in diets for nursery pigs with measurement of serum calcium and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter, calcium and phosphorus.
The raw eggshells were located from the hatchery factory in Chonburi province. Raw eggshells were water-soaked and sun-dried before being dehydrated at 60-70 C° in a hot air oven. After that, they were ground through a 420 µm sieve prior to analysis of DM, Ca and total P (AOAC 2005).
Three diets (Table 1) were formulated following the nutrient requirements of NRC (1998) for nursery pigs (10-20 kg body weight).
Limestone as calcium source (Control)
Eggshell replacing limestone 50% (Eggshell-50)
Eggshell replacing limestone 100% (Eggshell-100)
Thirty nursery pigs (Large White×Yorkshire)×DurocJersey; LYD) (15 males and 15 females) with average 11.5 kg LW were used. The pigs were blocked by initial weight and randomly allotted to the 3 treatment diets using a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Each treatment contained 5 replicated cages in which there were 2 pigs in each cage. Drinking water was provided at all times, and feed was supplied twice daily at 7.00 and 16.00 h. A blood sample was collected from all pigs on day 1 and day 35 of the experiment for serum calcium analysis (Thermo Fisher Scientific 2008).
Five barrows from each treatment were used for the digestibility trial. From day 31 to 35, all treatment diets had 0.30% of acid insoluble ash (AIA) namely Zelite® to serve as the inert marker. Grab samples of feces were collected twice daily for 5 days (day 31-35) by rectal stimulation. The collected samples were stored at -20°C for subsequent analysis when they were dried in a forced-air oven at 65°C for 48 h, and then ground through a 40 mesh sieve prior to chemical analysis (AOAC 2005). The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of DM, Ca and total P in the diet were calculated according to the following equation:
Where Md and Mf represent the concentrations of the indicator (Zelite®) in diets and feces, respectively; Nutrientd and Nutrientf represent the concentration of a test component in feed and feces, respectively (Adeola 2001).
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Table 1. Ingredients and nutrient composition of experimental diets |
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|
Ingredient (kg.) |
Control |
Eggshell -50 |
Eggshell -100 |
|
Broken rice |
46.6 |
46.6 |
46.6 |
|
Maize |
8.21 |
8.37 |
8.37 |
|
Whey powder |
3.00 |
3.00 |
3.00 |
|
Rice-bran Oil |
4.13 |
4.08 |
4.08 |
|
Full fat soybean |
8.00 |
8.00 |
8.00 |
|
Fish meal, 55% |
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
|
Soybean meal, 49% |
23.6 |
23.6 |
23.6 |
|
L- lysine |
0.50 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
DL- methionine |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
|
L- threonine |
0.20 |
0.20 |
0.20 |
|
Choline chloride, 60% |
0.01 |
0.01 |
0.01 |
|
Calcium carbonate |
2.00 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
|
Salt |
0.35 |
0.35 |
0.35 |
|
Monosodium phosphate |
1.40 |
1.30 |
1.30 |
|
Vitamin-Mineral Premix# |
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25 |
|
Chlortetracycline |
0.50 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
Egg shell |
0.00 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
|
Total |
100 |
100 |
100 |
|
Calculated composition (as fed basis) |
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|
Metabolizable energy, Mcal/kg |
3.30 |
3.30 |
3.30 |
|
Protein, % |
20.2 |
20.2 |
20.2 |
|
Fat, % |
6.93 |
6.89 |
6.89 |
|
Fiber, % |
1.86 |
1.87 |
1.87 |
|
Calcium, % |
0.95 |
0.94 |
0.92 |
|
Total Phosphorus, % |
0.70 |
0.68 |
0.68 |
|
Avail. Phos. For Swine, % |
0.49 |
0.46 |
0.46 |
|
Salt, % |
0.53 |
0.53 |
0.53 |
|
Lysine, % |
1.42 |
1.42 |
1.42 |
|
Methionine, % |
0.57 |
0.57 |
0.57 |
|
Methionine + Cystine, % |
0.81 |
0.81 |
0.81 |
|
# Premix : Vitamix ST® consist of vitamin A 2 MIU; D3 0 . 4 MIU; E 4x103 IU;K3 0 . 30 g; B1 0 . 20 g; |
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The data were subjected to Analyses of Variance according to a Randomized complete block design. Treatment means were compared using Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (Steel and Torrie 1980).
There was neglible phosphorus in the eggshell meal (Table 2).
|
Table 2. Chemical composition of eggshell meal |
|
|
Analyzed composition |
|
|
DM, % air dry basis |
99.1 |
|
Ca, % in DM |
36.5 |
|
P, % in DM |
0.15 |
Serum calcium levels were similar across diets and higher at the end of the experiment (Table 3).
|
Table 3. Calcium serum levels of the pigs |
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|
|
Serum Ca (mg/dL) |
SEM |
p |
||
|
Control |
Eggshell-50 |
Eggshell-100 |
|||
|
Initial |
7.46 |
7.85 |
7.63 |
0.26 |
0.62 |
|
Final |
9.35 |
9.34 |
9.96 |
1.14 |
0.09 |
There were no differences among diets in digestibility of DM, calcium and phosphorus (Table 4).
|
Table 4. Apparent total tract digestibility (%) in pigs fed the experimental diets |
|||||
|
Control |
Eggshell-50 |
Eggshell-100 |
SEM | p | |
|
DM |
87.0 |
87.1 |
87.1 |
0.81 |
0.98 |
|
Ca |
85.9 |
84.7 |
83.8 |
1.18 |
0.21 |
|
P |
80.4 |
81.3 |
80.1 |
1.67 |
0.77 |
The calcium composition of the eggshell meal from this study (36.5%) was similar to that reported by Gongrutatananun (2011) (34.9%) and Jieamjit and Kanjanakunchorn (2004) (38.5%).
The lack of differerences between exerimental diets contaning eggshell meal and the control diet with limestone, in appaent digestibility of calcium and phosphorus and in serum calcium, indicate that the calcium in the eggshells is used with the same efficiency as that in limestone. A similar finding was reported by Vandepopuliere et al (1975) when eggshell meal was fed to chickens.
This research project was financially supported by the Faculty of Animal Sciences and Agricultural Technology, Silpakorn University, fiscal year 2015.
Adeola O 2001 Digestion and balance techniques in pigs in Swine nutrition, edited by Austin J L and Southern L L ( 2nd edition). CRC Press.
AOAC 2005 Official Methods of Analysis. (18th ed). Association of Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC, USA.
Gongruttananun, N 2011 Effect of Eggshell Calcium on Productive Performance, Plasma Calcium, Bone Mineralization, and Gonadal Charaterristics in Laying Hens. Poultry Science, 90:524-529. doi:10.3382/ps2010-01003.
Jieamjit K, and W Kanjanakunchorn 2004. The study of using heat to destroy microbials in eggshell and partial properties of eggshell In: 42th Kasetsart University Proceeding, Kasetsart University, Thailand.
NRC 1998 National Research Council. Nutrient Requirements for Swine (10th ed). National Academy Press, Washington DC, USA.
Steel R G and Torrie J H 1980 Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw Hill Book Co, New York, NY, USA.
The Association of hen-egg farmers traders and exporters 2015 Thailand’s egg industry 2015: http//: www.egg-thailand.com
Thermo Fisher Scientific 2008 Calcium Reagent Arsenazo III Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., USA.
Vandepopuliere J M, Walton M V and Cotterill O J 1975 Nutritional evaluation of eggshell meal. Poult. Sci. 54: 131–135
Received 19 April 2017; Accepted 19 May 2017; Published 1 August 2017