QUALITY PROTEIN MAIZE IN A LEAST-COST DIET FOR LAYING HENS

Abstract

Philipp J Vet Anim Sci 2011, 37 (1): 27-36

The study aimed to determine the effects of feeding quality protein maize (QPM)-based diet on production and quality of eggs as well as economics of production. A normal maize (NM)-based diet served as control. Both diets were least-cost formulated. The proximate content of the maize was analyzed and pertinent values were used to calculate amount of essential amino acids and apparent metabolizable energy (AME) applied in the formulation matrix. A total of 144 Dekalb® layers (27 weeks of age) were randomly assigned to the two diets with six replication of 12 layers each. The proximate composition and amount of methionine, methionine+cystine, lysine, threonine and arginine were higher for QPM than NM; the AME was comparable for both maize. QPM was used in the diet at lower amount than NM. A consistently higher weekly egg production rate of layers fed QPMbased diet than those fed NM-based diet was observed in the first 11 weeks of the feeding period and for the whole period but differences were not statistically confirmed (P>0.05). The mean feed conversion ratio tended to be lower (P=0.07) in layers fed QPM-based diet than those fed NM-based diet. Eggs from layers fed diet with QPM-based diet had lower (P=0.05) yolk color score than those from NM-based diet, apparently due to lower amount of xanthophylls resulting from the lower inclusion of QPM than NM in the diet. Income over feed cost was higher (P<0.05) by 4.85% for QPM-based diet than for NM-based diet, which was associated with the additive effect of higher sale value and lower cost of feed (at current cost of both maize) of the former than the latter.