Effect of Feeding Soybean and Palm Blended Oil on Laying Performance and Egg Quality

Abstract

The effect of blended dietary oil on the laying performance of hens and the fatty acid profiles of eggs produced by 21 to 40 wk old Dekalb Brown laying hens were investigated. The experimental design was a completely randomized design using a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement with one control. The different oil sources did not influence egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, feed efficiency, Haugh unit or egg shell thickness. However lipid profile of the egg yolk changed as a function of dietary lipid sources. The fatty acid composition of egg yolks produced by the laying hens was analyzed. The fatty acid profile of eggs can be modified by varying the lipid composition of their diet. High inclusion levels of dietary palm olein oil (POO) or blended oil (POO plus soybean oil - SBO) concentrations of total saturated fatty acid (SFA) in egg yolks decreased, with SFA = 24.8167 - 0.63Oil, r 2 = 0.66 (P < 0.05). Eggs laid by hens fed the diet containing a high portion of soybean oil had a large amount of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), whereas egg laid by hens fed the diet containing POO or blended oil 25 % POO plus 75 % SBO at 1.5 % level of inclusion had a high percentage of n-3 PUFA and n-9 family. The addition of blended palm olein oil plus soybean oil decreased the concentration of saturated fatty acids while increased the concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acid, a-linolenic and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It did not promote the enrichment of the eggs with PUFA.