Effects of dietary boron supplementation on laying hens

Abstract

1. The effects of dietary boron on egg production and on the ultimate shear force, stress, and fracture energy of the tibia, femur, humerus, and radius from White Leghorn laying hens were investigated. 2. The shear force, stress, and fracture energy of the bones were not affected by increasing dietary concentrations of boron. 3. Egg production, food consumption and body weight were suppressed at a dietary boron concentration of 400 mg/kg. 4. Boron concentrations increased significantly in all tissue samples tested in birds given 400 mg/kg dietary boron.

Effects of Supplemental Boron on Growth Performance and Meat Quality in African Ostrich Chicks

“…Similar results were obtained in broilers fed 60−120 mg/kg boron 8 and hens fed 100 and 200 mg/kg boron. 23 Final BW and ADG were depressed by the higher levels of boron (320 and 640 mg/L) ( Table 2), agreeing with results obtained in broilers fed 300 mg/kg boron, 8 layers fed 400 mg/kg boron, 9,23 hens fed 400 mg/kg boron, 24 and Japanese quails fed 10, 60, 120, and 240 mg/kg boron. 25 However, there were no differences in feed conversion between the groups ( Table 2).…”

Long term effects of boron on layer bone strength and production parameters

“…The boron concentration in all tissue samples increased signi cantly with increasing concentrations of dietary boron. In a second study on 82-week old layers, Wilson and Ruszler (1996) used a dietary supplement of either 0, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg of boron for 12 weeks. Strength characteristics were not affected by increasing concentrations of boron but egg production and food consumption were suppressed at the boron concentration of 400 mg/kg.…”

Dietary Boron: Evidence for Essentiality and Homeostatic Control in Humans and Animals

“…Similar concentrations of boron (µg/mL) were reported in the plasma of humans (0.017-0.191) (Ferrando et al 1993;Hunt et al 1997;Iyengar et al 1990;Mauras et al 1986;Usuda et al 1997;Wallace et al 2002;Ward 1993), rats (0.038-0.039) (Seaborn and Nielsen 1994;Vaziri et al 2001), chicks (0.047-0.152) (Hunt 1989;Hunt 1996), cows (0.052-0.153) (Hunt 1996;Small et al 1997), lambs (0.163) (Hunt 1996), pigs (0.126) (Hunt 1996), and horses (0.227) (Hunt 1996). Liver boron concentrations (µg/g; dry weight) are similar in humans (1.1-5.4) (Shuler et al 1990;Ward 1987), rats (0.51) , chicks (1.01-4.4) (Rossi et al 1993), and cows (3.3) (Ward 1987); for brain tissue (µg/g; dry weight), similar in humans (0.87) (Shuler et al 1990), rats (0.64) , and chicks (1.01-1.05); for bone tissue (µg/g; dry weight), similar in humans (1.6) (Ward 1993), rats (1.3) , chicks (0.59-0.64) Hunt et al 1994;Wilson and Ruszler 1996), and mule deer (1.7) (Stelter 1980).…”