168 Effects of feeding different feed brands to caged laying hens on egg physical attributes during storage in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract Feeds brand in poultry industry are meant by regulation to have similar nutrients composition and impact on laying hens. Despite established variability in eggs as a result of feeding different feed brand to hen, proprietors of feed still lay claim to equal efficacy of feed. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the effect of feeding brands of feed to caged hens on physical characteristics of eggs during storage. Caged Lohmann Brown layers (n=360) aged 23 weeks were randomly allotted to four feed brands (W, X, Y, Z). Each treatment was replicated ten times, each replicate comprised nine birds. At week 39, eggs (n=280) were sampled and stored at a temperature of 24.1–28.9 oC and relative humidity of 73–84% (ambient conditions). External and internal physical quality indices were determined at days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 of egg storage. The experiment was a 4x5 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. Hens on feed X and Z had significantly higher (P < 0.05) yolk colour than W and Y. Lower eggshell thickness was observed in eggs of hen fed Y (0.42mm) while those on W (0.45mm) and Z (0.45mm) were not significantly different P>0.05). Feed brands did not significantly (P>0.05) affect weight, length, width, shell weight and shape index of eggs. The eggs produced from the treatment groups were all grade AA. Yolk height, Haugh unit, yolk index and albumen height reduced (P < 0.05) during storage. At day 0, Haugh unit was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in birds fed Z compared to those on other diets. The HU was lower for egg collected from hen fed X and Y at day 28. Yolk colour was significantly higher in Z at day 0. In conclusion, Eggs collected from hens fed different brand of feed brands had different physical characteristics during storage.