Effect of dietary incorporation of azolla meal on production performance and egg quality of Vanaraja laying hens

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary incorporation of Azolla meal on production performance and egg quality of Vanaraja laying hens. Seventy two, 48-weeks old Vanaraja laying hens were randomly distributed into three dietary treatment groups of 24 hens each and were reared in deep litter system. Each treatment contained 4 replicates of 6 hens each. Three experimental diets were formulated by incorporating Azolla meal (AZM) at 0, 5% and 10% levels. A measured quantity of feed (150 g/day) was offered to each bird everyday during the experimental period of 8 weeks. Egg production was recorded daily on individual pen basis and percent hen housed egg production (HHEP) was calculated. The average feed consumption was recorded as g/hen/day and feed efficiency was calculated on the basis of feed consumed per unit egg mass production. All the eggs laid during the last five consecutive days of each 28 days period were collected to measure the egg weight. Twelve eggs were randomly chosen in each treatment from the eggs laid during the last three consecutive days of each 28-day period to determine the egg quality. Dietary incorporation of AZM at either 5 or 10% level reduced the body weight of laying hens. The egg production, egg weight, egg mass per day and feed conversion efficiency (g feed/g egg) was comparable among the 0% (control), 5% and 10% AZM incorporated diets. The egg quality indices like albumen, yolk and egg shell percentage observed were similar across the different dietary treatment groups. Similarly, Dietary incorporation of AZM upto 10% in the diet had no influence on Haugh unit and shell thickness. It is concluded that Azolla meal can be incorporated up to 10% in the diet of Vanaraja laying hens without affecting egg production and egg quality.