Potential of Feeding Laying Hens with Combined Hempseed Meal and Microalgae as a Sustainable Regime to Produce Health-Promoting and Low-Carbon Eggs

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Commodities

• Animals: poultry
• Animal Products: eggs

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, feed additives
• Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures

Egg production is an important animal industry in the Northeast region such as Pennsylvania and New York. However, egg farmers, particularly small-scale local farmers, often face challenges including marginal profits, avian influenza outbreaks, and disrupted supply chain. Feeding hempseed meal and microalgae in laying hens to produce health-promoting and low-carbon eggs is one innovative strategy to improve the economic resilience and social sustainability of egg production. Both ingredients are byproducts of industrial productions, and the cultivation processes can sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Containing high levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), previous research reported successful egg n-3 PUFA enrichments when supplemented hempseed meal or microalgae independently. Such eggs can be marketed as specialty eggs to improve profitability of farmers and nutrition status of the public. Our preliminary research found promising results on reducing manure ammonia (NH₃) production associated with the supplementations. However, with complementary n-3 PUFA compositions, potential synergistic effects of combined supplementation have not been investigated. Therefore, the objectives of the proposed work are to reveal the maximal potentials of feeding laying hens with an optimal combination of hempseed meal and microalgae on egg n-3 PUFA enrichments and manure NH₃ reduction. Laying hens will be fed different supplementation combinations, and egg fatty acid profiles as well as manure NH₃ levels will be assessed. We expect the combined supplementation of hempseed meal and microalgae will further improve egg n-3 PUFA enrichments than singular supplementation of either ingredient. Such findings will promote sustainability and resilience of the egg industry.

1. To investigate the enrichment levels of n-3 PUFAs and DHA in eggs through singular or combined supplementations of hempseed meal and microalgae in laying hens.

Justification: Alongside the sustainable agriculture initiative, the added nutritional benefits of egg enrichments with n-3 PUFAs is another compelling aspect of supplementing hempseed meal in laying hens’ diets. However, previous research and our preliminary trial have reported that the most enriched n-3 PUFA is ALA with minimal enrichments of VLC n-3 PUFAs like EPA and DHA due to the fatty acid compositions of hempseed meals. On the contrary, supplementations of microalgal biomass with high concentrations of EPA and (or) DHA in laying hens can successfully biofortify such VLC n-3 PUFAs in the eggs accordingly. Therefore, the strategy of co-supplementation of hempseed meal and microalgae (Nannochloropsis oceanica) with complementary n-3 PUFA compositions is proposed to explore the optimal supplementation regime to maximize egg n-3 PUFA enrichments, which will provide added nutritional benefits to consumers and economic returns to poultry farmers.

2. To explore the impacts of hempseed meal and microalgae supplementations on the metabolism of laying hens and manure NH₃ production.

Justification: Due to their rich concentrations of fatty acids, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds, supplementations of hempseed meal and microalgae may influence the metabolism of laying hens as well as modulate their gut microbial compositions.^[37-39] Governed by microbiome, the enteric fermentation process in poultry produces short-chain fatty acids as well NH₃, which the gas could be dangerous to animals and farmers when exposed to moisture and became ammonium.^[40-42] Our previous research have shown encouraging results of reducing manure NH₃ productions when supplemented hempseed meal and microalgae individually in broiler chickens and laying hens. Hence, the proposed work will examine the potential synergistic effects when both are supplemented concurrently in diets of laying hens for the health of animals and farm workers.