INFLUENCE OF FEED ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND EGG QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMERCIAL LAYING HENS IN BAUCHI METROPOLIS

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the influence of different feed on productive performance and egg quality characteristics of commercial layers. A total of 528 Agrited Lohmann brown laying hens managed in a battery cage system and grouped into eleven (11) feed type coded as T1, (maize and wheat offal based diet), T2 (maize, sorghum, wheat offal based diet), T3 (Sorghum and Rice Offal based diet), T4 (Maize, Wheat Offal and Rice Offal based diet), T5 (Maize and Rice Offal based diet), T6 (Sorghum and Wheat Offal based diet), T7 (Sorghum, Wheat Offa and Rice Offal based diet), T8 (Maize, Sorghum and Wheat Offal based diet), T9 (Maize, Sorghum and Wheat Offal based diet), T10 (Commercial based diet), and T11 (Commercial based diet) of 48 birds per treatment were used. In each treatment, the bird were equally distributed into three (3) tiers (16 birds per tiers) of upper, middle and lower tier of the battery cage that serve as replication in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. Data generated were analyzed using univariate
analysis of variance. Hen-day egg production feed conversion ration were significantly (p<0.01) different. Hen-day egg production according age shows that age 2 (72 weeks old) was higher than age 1(92 weeks old). Average egg weight according to age, weeks, period, and treatment showed significant different (p<0.001). Egg length, shell thickness, and yolk length show significant effect (p<0.05) on External and internal egg quality characteristics observed.It was concluded that self formulated feed could be used in commercial layers feed without detrimental effect on performance, average egg weight and egg quality characteristics.