Performance, Physiological Parameters and Egg Quality Traits of Laying Hens as Affected by Dietary Supplementation of Date Palm Pollen
Performance, Physiological Parameters and Egg Quality Traits of Laying Hens as Affected by Dietary Supplementation of Date Palm Pollen
Amira Mahmoud Refaie1*, Marwa Hosni Abd El-Maged2, Hassan Abd El-Kriam Hassan Abd El-Halim2, Hanan Abd El-Rahman Hassan Alghonimy2, Sayed Ahmed Mohamed Shaban1
ABSTRACT
The current study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementation of date palm pollen (DPP) on the performance, physiological parameters and egg quality traits of laying hens. A total number of 240 Fayoumi chicken hens were classified into two equal experiments, 120 hens each (4 groups × 3 replicates × 10 birds). In each experiment, birds were divided into 4 treatment groups as follow: Normal control, positive control (0.0125% Butylated hydroxytoluene; BHT), 0.1% and 0.3% DPP, respectively. The DPP was used in two forms i.e., powder (DPP) for Exp.1 and aqueous extract (DPPE) for Exp.2. The results revealed that egg production was significantly improved (P<0.01) in the 0.1% DPP group (Exp.1) whereas, all groups exhibited higher (P<0.05) egg production (Exp.2) comparing to normal control. All treated groups exhibited an enhancement (P<0.01) in yolk total cholesterol comparing to either normal or positive control groups (Exp.1 and Exp.2). Spleen percentage (Exp.1) and carcass percentage (Exp.2) was significantly improved (P<0.01) in the 0.3% DPP group compared with all other groups. Hens fed control positive and 0.3% DPP (Exp.1), and control positive and 0.1% DPPE (Exp.2) exhibited significantly higher (P<0.01) yolk percentage compared with the normal control. From the obtained results it could be concluded that the supplementation of DPP up to 0.3% in either powder or extract forms enhances laying hens performance, and egg quality traits.
Keywords | Date Palm Pollen, Aqueous extract, Laying hens, Productive performance, Egg quality.
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