Effects of Dietary Choline Supplementation on Production Performance and Liver Characteristics in Late-Laying Hens

This study investigated the effects of long-term dietary choline supplementation on the productive performance, liver characteristics, and egg quality of brown laying hens during an extended laying cycle from 66 to 100 weeks of age. A total of 240 Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments containing 0%, 0.07%, 0.28%, or 0.84% supplemental Choline-50%, with six replicates per treatment. Production performance was monitored throughout the experiment, and samples for physiological analyses were collected at 100 weeks of age. Egg production during 66-75 weeks increased linearly with increasing dietary choline levels (p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were observed between weeks 76 and 100. Choline supplementation significantly decreased liver fat content and malondialdehyde concentration (p < 0.01), indicating improved hepatic lipid metabolism and reduced oxidative stress. Small white and yellow follicle counts increased (p < 0.05), suggesting enhanced early follicular development. Serum inorganic phosphorus levels decreased linearly (p < 0.01), whereas the other blood biochemical traits were unaffected. Dietary treatments did not influence bone quality traits. Yolk weight decreased in the choline-supplemented hens (p < 0.05), whereas albumen quality and shell traits remained unchanged. In conclusion, dietary choline supplementation may improve liver health and maintain productivity during production cycles extending up to 100 weeks of age.