Thermoregulatory, behavioral and productive responses of laying hens supplemented with different types and dosages of phytases raised in a hot environment: An integrative approach.

This study had the following objectives: (i) to evaluate the thermoregulatory and behavioral responses of light laying hens supplemented with different types and dosages of phytases in the two day shifts; and (ii) to integrate the thermoregulatory and behavioral responses with performance of these birds raised in a hot environment. 270 light laying hens of the Hy-Line White lineage, with a body weight of 1.60 ± 0.092 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial model with two types of phytases (bacterial and fungal) and two dosages (450 and 900 FTU), and a control diet. The day shift (morning and afternoon) was considered as a fixed effect in the factorial arrangement. Principal component analysis (P), correspondence analysis (C) and canonical discriminant analysis (C) were used. There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between phytases and dosages for thermoregulatory responses. Respiratory rate (R), cloacal temperature (C), and surface temperature with feathers (S) and featherless (S) were higher (P < 0.001) in the afternoon. Birds show different thermoregulatory and behavioral responses in the two shifts of the day. We also observed that birds supplemented with bacterial and fungal phytase showed similar thermoregulatory and behavioral responses to the control group in both day shifts. Expression of the "eating" activity was greater in the morning, while the birds remained sitting longer in the afternoon. Egg production was higher (P < 0.001) in birds supplemented with bacterial phytase. The phytase dosages had no effect on thermoregulatory, behavioral or performance responses. Egg production, feed conversion per dozen eggs corresponded to 81.1% of the differences between bacterial and fungal phytase supplementation and group control. Thus, we conclude that: (i) phytase dietary supplementation has no effect on the thermoregulatory responses of laying hens reared in a hot environment; (ii) birds supplemented with bacterial phytase showed higher egg production; and (iii) phytases (450 and 900 FTU) do not interfere with productive, behavioral and thermoregulatory responses.