Effect of Different Levels of Palm Olein Oil in Laying Hen`s Performance and Yolk Cholesterol

Ninety-six 26-week-old white leghorn layers (w-36) were fed commercial diets containing 0, 1.5, 3, 4.5% Palm Olein Oil (PO) and the diets were iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous. Hens randomly assigned to 4 treatment diets, with 3 replicates and 8 layers in each replicate. The experiment was conducted over a period of 12 week in order to study the effects of feeding palm olein oil on hen performance (egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and weight gain) and egg quality parameters (Hough unit score, yolk colour index, yolk index, egg shape, shell weight, shell thickness and density). The yolk of eggs extracted and cholesterol content were determined in each period. Blood samples were collected in non-heparin zed tubes from 6 hens in each treatment by puncturing the bronchial vein at end of experiment and serum was collected after 8-10 h as per standard procedures and was stored for subsequent analysis. Hen performance (egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake and FCR) and egg quality parameters (Haugh unit score, yolk colour index, yolk index, egg shape, shell weight, shell thickness and density) were not significantly (p>0.05) different among treatments except in body weight. The highest and lowest gain body weight was observed on 10% (170 g) and 0% (90 g) PO treatment, respectively (p<0.05). The yolk and blood cholesterol content were increased in 4.5% palm olein oil and the different among palm olein oil levels and control were statistically significant (p<0.05).