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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">VETZOO</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Veterinarija ir Zootechnika</journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2669-2511</issn>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">1392-2130</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>LSMU</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">GRIGOROVA</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Research article</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Evaluation of the Effects of Urtica Dioica L. Supplementation on Egg Quality and Blood Parameters in Laying Hens</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Grigorova</surname>
            <given-names>Svetlana</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_VETZOO_aff_000"/>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_VETZOO_aff_000">Agricultural Academy, Institute of Animal Science, Kostinbrod, Bulgaria</aff>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Gjorgovska</surname>
            <given-names>Natasha</given-names>
          </name>
          <email xlink:href="mailto:natasha.gjorgovska@istoc.ukim.mk">natasha.gjorgovska@istoc.ukim.mk</email>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_VETZOO_aff_001"/>
          <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor2">∗∗</xref>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_VETZOO_aff_001">Institute of Animal Science, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopјe, N. Macedonia</aff>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Petkov</surname>
            <given-names>Evgeni</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_VETZOO_aff_002"/>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_VETZOO_aff_002">Agricultural Academy, Institute of Animal Science, Kostinbrod, Bulgaria</aff>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Levkov</surname>
            <given-names>Vesna</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="j_VETZOO_aff_003"/>
        </contrib>
        <aff id="j_VETZOO_aff_003">Institute of Animal Science, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopјe, N. Macedonia</aff>
      </contrib-group>
      <author-notes>
        <corresp id="cor2"><label>∗∗</label>Corresponding author.</corresp>
      </author-notes>
      <volume>80</volume>
      <issue>1</issue>
      <fpage>35</fpage>
      <lpage>40</lpage>
      <pub-date pub-type="ppub">
        <day>27</day>
        <month>07</month>
        <year>2022</year>
      </pub-date>
      <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day>27</day>
        <month>07</month>
        <year>2022</year>
      </pub-date>
      <history>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>04</day>
          <month>05</month>
          <year>2022</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="rev-recd">
          <day>01</day>
          <month>06</month>
          <year>2022</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>15</day>
          <month>06</month>
          <year>2022</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <permissions>
        <ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/"/>
      </permissions>
      <abstract>
        <p>The purpose of the current research was to study the influence of dietary supplementation of nettle (Urtica dioica) on laying performance, egg quality and blood serum biochemical parameters of layers. A total of 60 laying hens (42 weeks old) from Lohman Klassik Brown breed were randomly allocated into three groups: a control and two experimental groups (n = 20 hens per group). All layers received compound feed with the following nutritional value: 2710 Kcal/kg metabolizable energy; 16.44% crude protein; 3.32% crude fats; 4.58% crude fibres; 3.73% Са; 0.49% Р. The hens from the experimental groups received 0.3% (experimental group 1) and 0.5% (experimental group 2) of dried nettle with the diet. Both experimental groups had significantly higher egg yolk pigmentation (p &lt; 0.001) compared with the control group. A significantly lower egg yolk cholesterol content was found in hens from experimental group 1 (p &lt; 0.05). Nettle addition reduced significantly blood serum glucose (p &lt; 0.01 and p &lt; 0.05 in experimental groups 1 and 2, respectively) as well as the total serum cholesterol content (p &lt; 0.001).</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group>
        <label>Keywords</label>
        <kwd>Urtica dioica</kwd>
        <kwd>layers</kwd>
        <kwd>egg quality</kwd>
        <kwd>biochemical parameters</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
</article>
