Abstract:
This study aimed to determine the effect of fingerroot powder supplementation on the performance of laying hens, egg quality, and malondialdehyde in the egg yolk. A total of 192 Hy-Line brown laying hens aged 43 weeks were divided into four treatment groups with 48 hens in each group (8 replicates; 6 birds each). The treatments were the control (basal diet), basal diet supplemented with vitamin E at 250 mg/kg, basal diet plus 20 g fingerroot powder/kg, and basal diet plus 40 g fingerroot powder/kg. Performance parameters were analyzed in the following two experimental period: 1 to 3 week and 4 to 6 week of treatment administration. Egg quality was evaluated twice at 3 and 6 weeks after feeding. The malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured in egg yolk at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days after storage at room temperature. No significant differences were observed in egg weight, laying rate, egg mass, feed intake and feed conversion ratio among the groups during the first experimental period. In the last period 4 to 6 week of experiment, dietary inclusion of 20 g fingerroot powder improved egg weight (P < 0.05) compared with control. The performance showed that during 6 weeks of feeding, the group supplemented with 40 g fingerroot powder had a decreased feed intake, but its feed conversion ratio was improved. The low feed intake in this group did not affect the laying rate, egg weight, and egg mass. There was no significant difference in egg quality for all variables except yolk color at 3 weeks of feeding. The yolk color was significantly lower in the feed supplemented with fingerroot powder at 40 g (P < 0.05). The egg quality at 6 weeks of feeding showed that 20 g fingerroot powder group had higher albumen and shell weight (P < 0.05). The experimental diets did not affect MDA levels in fresh or stored eggs. However, MDA level was affected by storage time and increased at 21 days. In this study, vitamin E or fingerroot powder did not show their antioxidant activity on the egg yolk. In conclusion, the addition of fingerroot powder has beneficial effects on egg weight, FCR, albumen and shell weights.
