Studies on Snail Meal as a Protein Source for Chickens: 2. Feeding Value for Laying Hens

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of graded levels of snail meal (Acbatina fulica) on egg production and egg quality characteristics in laying hens. In both experiments, each diet was offered to four replicate groups of 12 individually caged commercial strain pullets (Shaver Starcross 288) for 84 days. Snail meal was included at 0, 5, 10, 15, and 22.6% and 0, 5, and 10% of the diet for the two experiments, respectively. Hen-day production was 87.3, 86.9, 86.3, 83.7, and 80.9% and 73.6, 79.8, and 72.6% for the two experiments, respectively, and was not different within experiments. Egg weight was reduced by levels of snail meal above 5% in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, diets containing snail meal resulted in egg yolks with a deeper yellow color. Albumen quality, shell thickness, incidence of blood and meat spots, and taste of eggs were not influenced by feeding diets containing snail meal. The trend toward lowered egg production from snail meal was not expected on the basis of previous work with broilers. The present study shows that snail meal could be used up to 5% in layer diets without reducing egg weights and up to 10% without reducing egg production.