Dried goat waste: an egg yolk colourant for laying hens

A preliminary study was conducted to examine the effect of feeding diets containing dried goat waste (DGW) on production performance and egg quality traits with particular emphasis on yolk pigmentation in laying hens. Excreta from goats fed on Leuceana and Acacia leaves was collected, sun-dried and ground. A standard layer diet containing 58% yellow maize (diet A) was prepared. Three more diets (diet B, C and D) replacing yellow maize (w/w withjowar and broken rice at 29% levels each were also prepared. Diets C and D also contained DGW at 5 and 10% levels, respectively. Each of such diets was then fed to 40-wks old (n = 18) White Leghorn laying hens housed separately in laying cages for a period of four weeks. Production performance with respect to egg production, feed consumption, feed conversion and egg quality traits namely shape index, egg weight, shell thickness, shell weight, albumen and yolk index were remained statistically insignificant by either replacement of yellow maize with jowar and broken rice or inclusion of DGW in diet. However, egg yolk colour was highly significantly (P<0.01) faded when yellow maize was completely replaced with jowar and broken rice from layer diet. Inclusion of DGW as a source of pigments in jowar and broken rice based C and D diets at 5 and 10% levels restored egg yolk colour partially and completely, respectively. It was concluded that dried goat waste can be used as “natural” egg yolk colourant in layer rations.