Journal ID : AMA-14-02-2025-13448
[This article belongs to Volume - 56, Issue - 02]
Total View : 411

Title : Production performance and egg quality characteristics of commercial layer chicken on dietary supplementation of Panchagavya and Phytogenic feed additive

Abstract :

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of panchagavya (PG) and phytogenic feed additive (turmeric) in commercial layers on production performance and egg quality characteristics. Four-hundred-day-old commercial layer chicks (BV-300) were randomly allotted into eight treatment groups with five replicates of ten chicks per replicate and reared upto 30 weeks of age. Dietary treatment groups consisted of T1 (control)-basal diet and T2 group were fed basal diet with oxytetracycline-50 ppm. The groups T3, T4 and T5 were fed basal diet supplemented with 5, 7.5 and 10 g/kg of panchagavya respectively. The other treatment groups T6, T7 and T8 were fed basal diet supplemented with turmeric 1 g/kg in combination with panchagavya at 5, 7.5 and 10 g/kg levels respectively. The egg production performance was recorded for the period from 19 to 30 weeks of age. Age at sexual maturity, age at 50 and 90 per cent egg production and feed consumption were recorded. The feed efficiency per dozen eggs, feed efficiency per kg egg mass, hen day and hen housed egg production were calculated. The egg quality characteristics such as egg weight, specific gravity, albumen index, haugh unit, yolk index, yolk colour and eggshell thickness were recorded. The results obtained from this study shown that the age at sexual maturity was significantly (P<0.05) earlier in all treatment groups except T7 (PG-7.5 g/kg and turmeric -1g/kg) group which attained sexual maturity in later age (129.40 days). No significant difference observed between the treatment groups for age at 50 and 90 per cent egg production. The results on hen day and hen housed egg production (per cent), feed consumption (g/bird/day) from 19 to 30 weeks of age showed no significant difference between the treatment groups. The overall feed efficiency per kg egg mass (19-30 weeks) showed significant (P<0.05) difference. Moreover, better feed efficiency per kg egg mass (2.35 and 2.37) was observed in T2 (antibiotic) group followed by T6 group (PG – 5 g/kg and turmeric -1 g/kg) as compared to other treatment groups. The results showed no significant effect on the egg quality characteristics such as shape index, albumen index, Haugh unit and yolk index of commercial layer chicken eggs between the treatment groups. Yolk colour (5.20) was significantly (P<0.01) higher in T6 (PG -5 g/kg and turmeric -1 g/kg) and T7 (PG -7.5 g/kg and turmeric -1 g/kg) groups as comparison with antibiotic fed group (4.50).

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