Lactobacillus and dietary sunflower meal supplementation in layer diets: Effects on specific serum content and hydrogen sulfide concentration in layer manure.

Studies show that in poultry houses, hydrogen sulfide (HS) is present in a much higher concentration than its odor threshold of 10 ppb for humans and has a short-lived deleterious effect on White Leghorns at concentrations of 0.2% HS. A possible way to reduce HS emissions (often exhausted into the environment) is to decrease its concentration in manure by adding high fiber byproducts and probiotics in diets. A combination of probiotics (Lactobaccillus paracasei, Lactobaccillus plantarum, and Lactobaccillus rhamnosus at 1.56 mL per 10 L (to provide 3.64 × 10 cfu/L of each species) in chlorinated drinking water and sunflower seed meal (SFM) were evaluated for their early effects on the HS concentration in manure and specific measurements in serum. Sixty-four White Leghorn inbred crosses (65- to 74-week-old) were randomly allocated into two replicates of four treatments including a Control, Control + Probiotics, Control + Probiotics + 20% SFM, and Control + 20% SFM. After a 7-day acclimation period with different treatments, fecal matter was analyzed for total sulfur (TS), sulfate-sulfur (SO-S), and HS while blood serum was analyzed for amylase, calcium, phosphate, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Results indicated that probiotics significantly increased SO-S, whereas 20% SFM decreased HS, total sulfur, and increased sulfate sulfur. Dietary supplementation of SFM also significantly decreased serum amylase activity, calcium, and phosphorus.