title: Low-fiber alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) meal in the laying hen diet: effects on productive traits and egg quality.
abstract: This study was designed to determine the effects on laying performance and egg quality resulting from partial substitution of soybean meal (SBM) with low-fiber alfalfa (LFA; Medicago sativa L.) meal in the diet of early-phase laying hens. ISA Brown layers, 18 wk of age, were randomly allocated to 2 dietary treatments and fed for 10 wk. The hens were fed 2 wheat middling-based diets: a control diet, which contained SBM (15% of diet), and a test diet containing LFA (15% of diet) as the main protein source. Low-fiber alfalfa meal was obtained by a combination of sieving and air-classification processes. Feed intake was recorded daily, and egg production was calculated on a hen-day basis; eggs from each group were weekly collected to evaluate egg components and quality. The partial substitution of SBM with LFA had no adverse effect on growth performance of early-phase laying hens. Egg production and none of the egg-quality traits examined were influenced by dietary treatment, except for yolk color (P < 0.001) and yolk percentage (P < 0.05) as well as yolk cholesterol and β-carotene contents (P < 0.001), which were improved in hens fed the LFA diet. Including LFA increased serum β-carotene and reduced serum cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that partially replacing conventional SBM as protein source with low-fiber alfalfa meal in the laying-hen diet can positively influence yolk quality without adversely affecting productive traits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, and.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Laudadio
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro," Valenzano 70010, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ceci
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, and.
authors.forename: N M B
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Lastella
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, and.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Introna
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), Section of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, and vincenzo.tufarelli@uniba.it.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tufarelli
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004531:Eggs / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D008136:Longevity; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000737:chemistry*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012098:Reproduction
keywords: alfalfa meal; cholesterol; egg quality; laying hen; β-carotene