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

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.