Evaluation of Productive Performance and Egg Quality in Hy-Line Brown Hens Fed Diets Supplemented with Three Essential Oils

• Gilmar Mendoza-Ordoñez Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Nutrición y Alimentación Animal. Trujillo, Perú. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3714-1811
• María Cedano-Silva Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Nutrición y Alimentación Animal. Trujillo, Perú. https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4636-6616
• Hugo Saavedra-Sarmiento Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Nutrición y Alimentación Animal. Trujillo, Perú. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0740-5823
• Fiorela Hermitaño-Osorio Estacion experimental Agraria-INIA, Pasco, Perú. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4729-6331
• Aníbal Rodriguez-Vargas Universidad Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión, Instituto de Investigación Especializada en Ganadería Oxapampa (INIGOX). Pasco, Perú. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0248-163X
• Magaly Diaz-García Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Lambayeque, Perú. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1349-1016
• Luis Laca-Olivos-Chang Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Lambayeque, Perú. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9221-5954
• Margarita Torres-Malca Universidad Nacional Pedro Ruiz Gallo, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Lambayeque, Perú. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3953-6999

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52973/rcfcv-e362868

Keywords: Essential oils, nutritive supplementation, productive parameters, egg quality, laying hens

Abstract

The research was conducted on a commercial poultry farm located in the city of Trujillo, Peru, with the aim of evaluating the effect of dietary supplementation with a powdered blend of essential oils, composed of eucalyptus, mint, and thymol, on the productive performance and egg quality of Hy-Line Brown laying hens. A total of 990 birds, aged 38 to 45 weeks, were used, distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments: T0 (0 gram essential oils), T1 (250 grams essential oils), and T2 (350 grams essential oils), with three replications per treatment and 110 birds per replication. The results showed highly significant differences (P < 0.01), with the essential oils-supplemented treatments outperforming the control treatment in terms of feed conversion ratio, laying percentage, and the proportions of pink, white, broken, and discarded eggs. In contrast, no statistical differences (P > 0.05) were observed in internal and external egg quality parameters, including weight, shell strength, albumen height, Haugh unit, color, yolk height, diameter and index, or shell thickness. In conclusion, supplementation with the evaluated essential oil blend may be considered a promising nutritional alternative to improve the productive performance of laying hens without affecting egg quality.

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