PRODUCTION OF OMEGA-3FATTY ACID EGGS-BY FEEDING HENSWITH LAYERS MASH MIXED WITH CONOPHOR NUT (Tetracarpidium conophorum) PASTE .

Abstract

The research involves feeding of hens at the point of laying with layers feed mixed with conophor nut paste (Tetracarpidium conophorum) to modify the nutrient composition of eggs by increasing the level of Omega-3fatty acids in the eggs and to provide a substitute for other expensive Omega-3 rich foods such as fish, shellfish and sea foods. Twelve birds were housed in a commercial type laying cage. Three hens were accommodated in each cage. Three of the hens were fed with layers mash to serve as control [A=100%feed] while the remaining nine birds were fed with layers mash mixed with conophor nut paste in varying ratio [ B=90:10%], C [80:20%] D[70:30%]. On weekly basis, three eggs from each treatment [A,B, C and D] were randomly selected to evaluate the average egg weight(g),yolk index, albumen index, shell thickness(mm), total fat(g),cholesterol level(mg) and egg fatty acid profile. The egg weights have values ranged from 159.40 to 178.40g with treatment B[90:1O]having the least value and treatment C and D having the highest values. The average weight of the eggs measured revealed that egg weight increases with increasing level of conophor nut paste, however the egg weights of hens fed control diets [A=100%feed] decreases with values ranged from 166.70 to 164.70g. The yolk index ranged between 0.37 and 0.48 with treatment A having the least and treatment B,C and D having higher values than the control. The albumen index ranged between 0.086 and 0.089 with the control having the least and treatment B having the highest value. Result of the egg qualities parameters yolk and albumen index indicate that there is no mark variations observed and the values were not significantly different among treatments. This shows that the varying inclusion levels of conophor nuts paste had no effect on these egg qualities. Moreover, the egg shell thickness (mm) ranged between 32.25 and 32.59mm with the control having the least and treatment C having higher value than control. The total fat content of the eggs increased with increasing weeks of feeding as well as increasing level of conophor nuts paste. The values obtained ranged from 10.50to12.61g with treatment A [1OO%feed] and B[90:1O%] having the least and the treatment C[80:20] and D[70:30] having the highest values. This suggests that conophor nuts increased the yolk of the egg. . In addition, mixing conophor nuts paste with layers mash significantly decreased cholesterol level from 187mg to 183mg while the decreasing effect was not shown with hen fed a control diets 187mg to 190mg. Results of fatty acid profile showed that both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were present in the eggs with hens fed conophor nuts having higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acid than the control. In summary, hens fed with a diet containing layers mash and 20% conophor nuts paste consistently produce more Omega-3 enriched eggs.