Age-related changes in the shell gland and duodenum in relation to shell quality and bone strength in commercial laying hen hybrids

Table 3 Morphology measurements of shell gland and duodenum from two layer hybrids

	LSL and LB						Statistical significance (P value)
	21 week (n = 10)	29 week (n = 10)	49 week (n = 10)	70 week (n = 10)	LB (n = 20)	LSL (n = 20)	Age	Hybrid	Age* Hybrid
Number of capillaries/mm² in shell gland	289 ± 13.4^b	370 ± 20.4^a	332 ± 19.3^ab	358 ± 20.8^ab	322 ± 13,8	351 ± 14.9	0.02	0.2	0.2
Number of CA- positive capillaries/mm² in shell gland	0.1 ± 0.06^c	0.4 ± 0.25^bc	10.9 ± 5.08^ab	22.4 ± 9.03^a	8.2 ± 4.65	8.7 ± 3.56	0.002	0.5	0.9
Mucosal height in the duodenum (µm)^d	1387 ± 65.9	1376 ± 44.9	1582 ± 93.1	1436 ± 67.1	1569 ± 53.6^a	1322 ± 29.2^b	0.03	< 0.0001	0.006
Depth of crypt of Lieberkühn in duodenum (µm)^e	153 ± 7.0	145 ± 8.0	132 ± 8.0	137 ± 7.8	142 ± 4.7	141 ± 6.4	0.3	0.9	0.4

Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) and Lohmann Brown (LB), at four different ages (21, 29, 49, 70 weeks) during the production period. Mean ± standard error. CA carbonic anhydrase. Values without a superscript or with the same letter (^a, ^b or ^c) do not differ significantly (P > 0.05)
^dMeasured from muscularis mucosa to top of the villi
^eMeasured from muscularis mucosa to base of villi

ISSN: 1751-0147