Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding colored barley (CB) and whole crop barley (WCB) on performance, egg quality and blood composition of laying hens. A total of 280, 35 weeks old Brown Nick laying hens were allocated into the individual cage for the period of four weeks. Experimental diets contained 2,750 kcal/kg ME and 16% CP, respectively. The treatments consisted of 5, 10, 15% CB and WCB as feed ingredients with control and there were five replications in each treatment. Higher egg production was noticed at 10% level of CB and 5% level of WCB in the diets, respectively. Feed intake was higher in WCB and CB treatments compared to those of the control (P<0.05), but the feed conversion was not different. Yolk color tended to increase both in WCB and CB groups. Haugh unit seemed to increase WCB treatments. When the CB and WCB were fed at 15% level, blood total proteins, albumin, total cholesterol and triglyceride contents were decreased than that of the control birds, but total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol tended to be higher with the increasing level of WCB. As results, no significant differences were observed in performance and egg quality with different levels of dietary WCB and CB. Thus, CB and WCB can be substituted as a feed ingredient up to 15% level in the laying hens' diet. However, further studies are required by feeding more than 15% levels of CB and WCB in the diet of laying hens. (Key words : Colored barley, Whole crop barley, Performance, Egg quality, Blood composition)

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