Low Calcium Diet Leads to Increased Calcium Retention by Changed the Gut Flora and Ileum pH Value in Laying Hens

Osteoporosis is a common progressive degenerative bone metabolic disease in laying hens which is big challenge for welfare of hens. Low calcium diet is used often to induce the osteoporosis model in hens. And the dietary calcium concentration decrease is accompanied by the intestinal calcium absorption rate increases. To be study the mechanical of calcium retention increases percent with dietary calcium concentration decreases, 24 old laying hens were randomly housed in single bird cages, and the cages were divided into 2 treatments: fed a control diet (Cont, 3.69%) or a low calcium diet (LC, 2.0%) for 8 wks. The low diet induced changes of egg and bone parameter, blood factor, the content of Ca, P, Mg in eggshell, bone and excrement, the intestinal histomorphology and intestinal contents pH Measurements, and Microbial diversity were measured and conducted transcriptome analysis of ileum.