Abstract:
This experiment investigates
the effect of flaxseed meal, rapeseed meal
and vitamin E supplementation, when used
together, on the production parameters of
fatty acid composition and eggs quality
characteristics in Tetra SL laying hens (38
to 46 weeks of age). For this, 120 hens
were allocated one of three treatments, with
40 hens in each group. The hens were fed
either a control diet (C), a control diet
including 2.5 % flaxseed meal and 2.5%
rapeseed meal (E1) or 2.5% flaxseed meal and
2.5% rapeseed meal with 73 mg/ kg feed of
vitamin E as an antioxidant supplement (E2)
for 8 weeks. Hens consuming the E1 diet had
greater egg production and egg mass than
those from group C. The feed conversion
ratio in both the E1 and E2 groups was lower
(P < 0.05) than in the C diet group. E2 had
considerably higher egg weight, albumen pH,
yolk pH and Haugh unit than E1 and C (P0.05),
as a response to the vitamin E antioxidant
effect. The most α-linolenic fatty acid content
(1.07 g FAME) was found in eggs produced
by chickens fed the E2 diet, (1.07 g FAME),
followed by E1 (0.91 g FAME), with both
being significantly higher than C eggs
(0.23g FAME). Furthermore, all n-6 studied
fatty acids concentrations were significantly
lower (P < 0.05) in E1 and E2, while all n-3
fatty acids concentrations were significantly
greater (P > 0.05) in E1 and E2. When
comparing the n-6/n-3 ratio of fatty acids
from experimental treatments (6.44 and 6.74)
with C treatment (18.19), a significant
difference was observed (almost 65% lower).
