Effects of Supplementing Layers, With Varying Levels of Alfalfa and Moringa Fresh Leaves on Egg Production and Quality

Abstract

This feeding trial was conducted to evaluate and demonstrate the effects of supplementing intensively managed commercial layer chickens with varying levels of fresh leaves of Medicago sativa (Al) and Moringa stanophetela (Ms) on the characteristics of eggs. A 3x3 factorial arrangement was used Levels of Al fresh leaves were 0, 200, or 400 g, and levels of Ms fresh leaves were also 0, 200, or 400 g. Each treatment was replicated 4 times and 11 laying birds were allocated per replicate. Treatment arrangements/combinations were as follows, such as T1 (0 g of Ms & 0 g of Al), T2 (0 g of Ms &200 g of Al), T3 (0 g of Ms & 400 g of Al), T4 (200 g of Ms & 0 g of Al), T5 (200 g Ms & 200 g of Al), T6 (200 g Ms & 400 g of Al), T7 (400 g Ms & 0 g of Al), T8 (400 g of Ms & 200 g of Al) and T9 (400 g of Ms & 400 g of Al). The actual investigation was started in the 30th week and then ended after 10 weeks. To evaluate egg quality traits, 9 eggs (3 eggs per pen per month), with a total of 36 eggs per treatment were randomly selected and analyzed. The result revealed that yolk color was strongly influenced (P<0.05) by an interaction effect of that of the leveled Al and Ms supplementations. However, egg weight, shape index, shell thickness, albumen weight, Haugh unit, and yolk weight weren’t significantly (P>0.05) influenced by such supplementations. The total egg production, egg production per pen, egg weight, egg mass, the hen-housed egg production, and a hen day egg production were not (P < 0.05) influenced. The trend showed that the yellowness of the yolk color became deepened when increasing the amounts of either Al or Ms supplementation, as the main factors in the diets.