Background:
Local hen layers play a crucial role in egg production and the poultry industry. Optimizing their performance, egg quality, and overall health is of paramount importance.
Aim:
This research aims to examine the effects of different feed forms on gut bacteria and subsequent effects on productivity, egg quality, and intestinal morphology in indigenous laying hens.
Methods:
Forty-five hens aged 73 weeks were randomly distributed into three treatment groups, each with three replicates of 5 chickens in ground cages. The dietary treatments included 100% mash diet (T1), 50% mash + 50% pellet diet (T2), and 100% pellet diet (T3).
Results:
Compared to the mash-fed group (T1), birds in the pellet and mixed-diet groups (T2 and T3) exhibited significant improvements (P ≤ 0.05) in productive performance and egg quality. Furthermore, there were significant reductions (p
Key words: local laying hen, feed form, productive performance, intestinal morphology, microbial content.
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