This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with chito-oligosccharide (COS) on egg production, nutrient digestibility, egg quality and blood profiles in laying hens. A total of 240 Hy-line Brown laying hens were randomly allocated into one of the following 5 dietary treatments: i) CON, basal diet; ii) ANT, basal diet+44 mg/kg avilamycin; iii) COS0.2, basal diet+200 mg/kg COS; iv) COS0.4, basal diet+400 mg/kg COS; v) ANTCOS, basal diet+200 mg/kg COS+22 mg/kg avilamycin. The experiment lasted for 6 wk. No change in egg weight (p>0.05) was observed during the trial period. Egg production in ANTCOS treatment was improved (p<0.05) when compared to CON during weeks 4-6. The birds in the COS0.2, COS0.4 and ANTCOS groups had higher (p<0.05) Haugh unit than those fed CON and ANT diets at the end of the 6 th wk. The apparent digestibility of nitrogen in CON group was lower (p<0.05) than in other treatments. The white blood cell (WBC) concentration of birds in the COS0.4 and ANTCOS group was higher (p<0.05) than that of birds in other groups at the end of the 6 th wk. In addition, the differences of WBC counts between the beginning and end of the experiment in COS0.4 and ANTCOS groups were higher (p<0.05) than in CON and ANT groups. At the end of the experiment, the birds fed ANTCOS diet showed higher (p<0.05) total blood protein concentration than those fed CON or ANT diets. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of COS appeared to increase egg production and quality by increasing nutrient digestibility. Additionally, COS improved WBC and total protein concentration.

Fifty-four cross-bred ((Landrace×Yorkshire)×Duroc) pigs (13.47±0.03 kg average initial BW) were evaluated in a 42 d growth assay to determine the effects of the fermented soy product (FSP). The dietary treatments were: FSP 0 (corn-soybean basal diet), FSP 2.5 (FSP 0 amended with 2.5% FSP), and FSP 5 (FSP 0 amended with 5% FSP). The body weight at the end of the experiment increased linearly (p = 0.05) as the FSP levels in the diets increased. In addition, the ADG and G/F ratio also increased (linear effect, p = 0.06) as the levels of FSP increased. However, there was no effect of FSP on ADFI or DM digestibility (p>0.05). Furthermore, the N digestibility increased as the FSP levels increased (linear effect, p = 0.003), although the total protein concentration in the blood was not affected by FSP (p>0.05). Additionally, the albumin concentration was higher in pigs fed diets that contained 2.5% FSP than in pigs in the control group or the FSP 5 group (quadratic effect, p = 0.07). The creatinine concentrations were also evaluated at d 42 and found to be greater in pigs that received the FSP 2.5 diet (quadratic effect, p = 0.09). Moreover, the creatinine concentration increased linearly in response to FSP treatment (p = 0.09). Finally, although the BUN concentration on the final day of the experiment was greater in pigs that received the FSP 2.5 diet (quadratic effect, p = 0.10), there were no incremental differences in BUN concentrations among groups (p>0.05). Taken together, the results of this study indicate that feeding FSP to pigs during the late nursery phase improves growth performance and N digestibility.