In March 2020, Nuwen will launch its latest innovation for the VIV MEA show: CalseaGrow for laying hens. The third product in the CalseaGrow range, this nutritional specialty is the combination of natural plant and algae extracts. It is a rich source of antioxidants and prebiotics and, when used as a preventive measure, CalseaGrow for laying hens improves intestinal transit, increases zootechnical performance and enhances the quality of the eggs.
High-performance ingredients
CalseaGrow for laying hens is a combination of algae and plant extracts. Nuwen has notably selected extracts of citrus fruits rich in Pectic Oligosaccharides (POS). These POS are prebiotics with a dual action on intestinal microbiota. First; they inhibit adherence and hence proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Secondly, POS also have a bifidogenic action, stimulating the growth of good bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidodobacteria in particular. Thanks to this, we observe an improvement in intestinal transit and the hen’s general state of health.
The citrus fruits used in CalseaGrow for laying hens also boast a multitude of antioxidants, most notably hesperidin and eriocitrin. CalseaGrow enables the hen to create reserves of antioxidants, which help maintain redox balance and reduce oxidative stress. By reducing said oxidative stress we avoid deterioration in the quality of the eggs, problems with embryonic development and loss of performance.
General improvement in the hen’s performance and the quality of its eggs
CalseaGrow for laying hens enhances the zootechnical performance of the animals. We have observed a 1.6% reduction in the quantity of food ingested as well as a reduction in the feed conversion ratio (-1%) whilst retaining the same rate of lay. CalseaGrow also improves homogeneity of the EPI (European Production Index).
Regarding egg quality, CalseaGrow for laying hens, thickens the vitelline membrane of the eggs by 2.4%. This significant increase in the rigidity of the vitelline membrane improves its ability to resist breakage. This is useful for both separation plants (separation of the egg in white and yolk) and hatcheries (said separation of the egg in white and yolk, facilitates development of the embryo and thus increases hatching rate). Taking CalseaGrow also leads to a 3.1% increase in the Haugh unit (a measure of egg protein quality based on the height of the egg white) which benefits overall quality.
Scientifically-proven results
After being initially tested in vitro, the effectiveness of CalseaGrow was then in vivo on animal models. The in vivo trial was carried out with an independent French partner specialised in the supervision of such zootechnical trials. It consisted of 12 repetitions with 24 laying hens per treatment (one negative control group and the other with 1kg of CalseaGrow added per ton of food). The Roullier Global Centre of Innovation and its laboratory specializing in microbiology then confirmed the effectiveness of the product before and after production.
The monitoring of the egg quality was done by a laboratory specializing in the development of patented methods for assessing the antioxidant status of animals. Several parameters were tested and in particular, shell weight and strength, Haugh units and rigidity of the vitelline membrane.
