Feeding Behavior, Abdominal Fat and Laying Performance in Laying Hens Given Diets Containing Red Pepper.

Abstract

Capsaicin (CAP), a pungent principle of hot pepper, enhanced the energy metabolism of rats through the beta-adrenergic action of CAP itself. The present study was done to clarify the effects of dietary red pepper on feeding behavior, abdominal fat content and laying performance in laying hens. Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens were given diets containing varying levels of red pepper (0, 2 and 10g/kg diet) ad libitum for 10 weeks. The red pepper contains 0.22% CAP. There were no significant differences in feeding behavior in any treatments. This suggests that the receptor for the pungent stimuli might be deficient in chickens. The abdominal fat content and liver color were not altered by dietary red pepper, being implied that the beta-adrenergic action of CAP might be smaller in chickens than in mammals. Laying performances were hardly influenced by dietary red pepper. Roche color fan score and the redness of egg yolk color significantly increased as the dietary red pepper content increased, but the reverse was true for the yellowness and lightness of egg yolk color.In conclusion, it is difficult to depress the excess fat deposition of laying hens by dietary red pepper through the action of CAP. Dietary red pepper is only available for the egg yolk pigmentation, particularly in redness.