Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae dietary supplementation (Original XPCTM) and stocking density on production performance and egg quality in white egg strain laying hens

The ongoing industry trend towards less intensive management systems is of interest to table egg producers, with antibiotic usage and stocking density being of primary concern. The present trial evaluated the effect of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product and stocking density on hen production performance and egg quality. Eleven white egg layer strains were equally represented in cages at either high (471 cm² per bird, HD) or low (497 cm² per bird, LD) stocking densities. Hens were fed either a control diet (CN) or one supplemented with S. cerevisiae (Original XPC included at 0.68 kg/T, SC) from 17 to 41 wk on a commercially relevant scale (70 replicates for each of the 4 treatments and a total of 5,740 hens). Data were collected every 4 wk and analyzed in a 2 × 2 factorial design, with stocking density and diet being the main effects. Feed intake and egg production were increased in both the LD and SC groups. Improvements in egg size were also noted for SC hens, concurrent with a reduction in cracks, leaks, and vitelline elasticity. The combination of SC-LD resulted in improved hen day production, shorter time to 50% production, and increased percentage of large eggs. Overall, the main effects of SC and LD were associated with improved production performance, with larger egg size also being noted for the SC hens. The combination of SC and LD may benefit producers in achieving both production and egg size performance targets, providing an economic incentive to transition to alternative management systems.