Effects of Dry Tomato Pulp on Egg Yolk Pigmentation and Some Egg Yield Charecteristics of Laying Hens

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of dry tomato pulp on egg yolk pigmentation and some egg yield charecteristics of laying hens. A total number of 75 Lohman brown layers, with 36 week old of age at the beginning of the experiment, was distributed in a completely randomized experimental desing into 5 treatments, with three replicates of 5 hens each. Dry tomato pulp had a significant effect on the Final Body Weigth (FBW), Feed Intake (FI) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) whereas dry tomato pulp has no significant effect on the egg yield. Dry tomato pulp had a significant effect on the egg weight and egg shape index whereas dry tomato pulp had no significant effect on shell weight, shell thicknes and shell strength. Dry tomato pulp had a significant effect on egg yolk inedx and roche color fan value whereas dry tomato pulp had no significant effect on the egg ypolk weight, albumen index and haugh unite. Dry tomato pulp had a significant effect on likopen and beta-caroten contents of egg yolk. As a conclusion dry tomato pulp had a significant effect on the internal and extarnal egg quality charecteristics. Dry tomato pulp up to 20% can be used in laying hen diets.