Dietary Bacillus toyonensis BCT-7112T Supplementation Influences Performance, Egg Quality, Ammonia Emission, and Cecal Microbiome in Laying Ducks
by
, , and
Tossaporn Incharoen
1,2
,
Rangsun Charoensook
1,2,*
,
Wandee Tartrakoon
1,
Sonthaya Numthuam
1,
Yutthana Sunanta
3,
Guillermo Jimenez
4 and
Juan J. Loor
5
1
Division of Animal Science and Feed Technology, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
2
Center of Excellence in Nonlinear Analysis and Optimization, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
3
Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Maejo University, Chiang-Mai 50290, Thailand
4
Rubinum S.A., 08191 Rubí, Catalonia, Spain
5
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(3), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12030259
Submission received: 31 January 2025
/
Revised: 4 March 2025
/
Accepted: 7 March 2025
/
Published: 10 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction Between Intestinal Microorganisms and Hosts to Regulate Animal Growth)
Simple Summary
Duck egg production is crucial to Thailand’s poultry industry, and supplying eggs is crucial to Thai and Chinese cuisine. While traditional duck farming occurs outdoors on rice fields, modern intensive farming prioritizes productivity and disease control, often relying on antibiotics. However, growing health and environmental concerns necessitate alternatives like probiotics. This study explored the effects of Bacillus toyonensis BCT-7112T, a non-toxigenic, spore-forming bacterium, on Khaki Campbell laying ducks. The results show improved egg weight and shell thickness, reduced ammonia emissions, and increased cecal microbiota diversity. Our findings suggest B. toyonensis BCT-7112T enhances egg production, gut health, and microbial diversity, offering a sustainable feed additive for intensive duck farming.
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of Bacillus toyonensis BCT-7112T on laying duck performance, egg quality, ammonia emission, and cecal microbiota. Two hundred twenty 32-week-old Khaki Campbell ducks were assigned to four dietary treatments (0, 200, 500, or 1000 ppm Toyocerin® 109 premixture, containing 1 × 10⁹ B. toyonensis BCT-7112T CFU/g) with five replicate pens of eleven birds each. Data on productivity, egg quality, and ammonia emissions were collected weekly, and cecal microbiota were analyzed at 44 weeks of age. Supplementation with 1000 ppm B. toyonensis BCT-7112T significantly increased average egg weight (p < 0.001) and eggshell thickness (p = 0.007). Egg mass also improved at higher supplementation levels (p < 0.05), though feed intake, feed conversion, daily egg production, and most egg quality parameters were unaffected (p > 0.05). Ammonia emissions in litter decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with probiotic inclusion. Cecal microbiota analysis revealed higher diversity in ducks fed 1000 ppm, with a notable shift in predominant phyla from Bacteroidetes (35.12%) and Firmicutes (34.93%) in the controls to Bacteroidetes (40.52%), Firmicutes (34.08%), and Deferribacteres (9.54%) in the treated ducks. The findings suggest that 1000 ppm B. toyonensis BCT-7112T enhances egg production, eggshell quality, and microbial diversity while reducing ammonia emissions in laying duck systems.
