Performance, Egg Quality, and Composition in Isa Brown Laying Hens Fed with Different Levels of Desmodium tortuosum Leaf Flour

• Published in: Animals (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 19; p. 2868
• Main Authors: Koné, Gningnini Alain, Tiho, Tagouèlbè, Kouakou, N'Goran David Vincent, Yapi, Yapo Magloire, N'Guessan, Konan Raphaël, Good, Margaret, Kouba, Maryline
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 05.10.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: African plant; Agricultural sciences; Animal production studies; Carotenoids; Corn; Cote D’Ivoire; Diet; egg cholesterol; egg color; egg composition; Egg industry; Eggs; Fatty acids; Feeds; Generalized linear models; International economic relations; Laboratory animals; layer; Life Sciences; Livestock farms; Meat; Nutrition research; Poultry; Proteins; Supply and demand; Variance analysis; France; Sub-Saharan Africa; United States > US; Africa; Cote D’Ivoire; egg cholesterol; egg color; African plant; layer; egg composition; Cote D'Ivoire; african plant
• ISSN: 2076-2615; 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani14192868

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects on laying performance, egg quality traits, color, and composition of supplementing a white corn-based diet with leaf flour. Three hundred 32-week-old hens were distributed to 30 pens of 10 hens each and allocated to six dietary treatments (five replicates per treatment) for 13 weeks. Two control groups of 50 hens received one of either diet Y, based on yellow corn, or diet W, based on white corn. The other groups received a diet based on white corn supplemented with leaf flour at 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, or 10% (diet D). Diet D improved laying performance and yolk color at a reduced feed cost per egg but had no effect on cholesterol content. In conclusion, the inclusion of leaf flour, in a white corn-based diet, is effective in lowering feed cost, increasing egg production, and improving yolk color.