The performance and egg quality traits of Nigerian local hens fed varying dietary levels of palm kernel cake with added palm oil

Abstract

SUMMARY A total of 120 local hens at the point of lay were randomly assigned, 2 per cage, with 10 replicates per diet in a completely randomized design, to 6 palm kernel cake (PKC)-based layer diets that contained 20% CP and 2,700 kcal of ME/kg of feed. The PKC was included at levels of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% in diets 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Diet 1 without PKC served as the control. To make the diets isocaloric, 0.5, 1.48, 3.35, 5.22, 7.11, and 8.98% palm oil was added to diets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Feed and water were offered ad libitum for 12 wk. The hen-day production (53.8 to 63.3%) peaked at dietary PKC levels of 20 to 40%. Feed conversion ratio was also the lowest in hens fed the 20 to 40% PKC-based diets, but it was poorer than the control diet for those fed 50% PKC. The least hen-day production was obtained for birds on the 50% PKC-based diet. The albumen height (3.16 to 3.73 mm) was highest for eggs laid by hens fed the control and 10% PKC diets. The egg yolk indexes obtained for hens fed 0 to 10% dietary PKC (0.2) were significantly higher than those obtained for hens fed 20 to 50% PKC (0.13 to 0.15). The yolk color score increased significantly (P