Production of Pigment Enriched Desi Chicken Eggs by Feeding of Tagetes erecta Petals

Abstract

The present study was carried out with an aim of enriching desi chicken egg with carotenoid pigment and to improve its colour of consumers’ preference. A total of 96 adult Nicobari fowls at the age of 30 weeks were subjected to four dietary treatments consisting of 1 (T-1), 2 (T-2), and 3 (T-3) g marigold dried petal powder per day per hen and control (c). The mean egg production parameters, egg quality characters and reproductive trait were recorded for 120 days. Marigold feeding to Nicobari fowl up to 3 g did not show any adverse effect on the palatability of feed, egg production performance, egg weight, egg mass output, hatchability and feed efficiency. Significant (P<0.05) improvement in the Roch yolk colour score from 4 to 8 reflected the enrichment of caroteinoid pigments in egg yolk. Feeding of dried Marigold petals up to 3 g per hen per day as supplemental feed additive for rural poultry could enrich carotenoid pigments in desi eggs and thereby could improve yolk colour of consumer’s preference under semi-intensive system of management to meet the growing demand and changing consumers need for enriched poultry production.