Effects of dietary Yucca schidigera powder on performance and eggcholesterol content of laying hens

摘要

The present study was carried out to determine whether dietary Yucca schidigera powder would affect egg yolk cholesterol content and laying performance of chickens. Sixty, 28-week-old White Hyline layers were divided into four dietary treatment groups Of Similar mean weight, comprising 15 birds each. A standard layer feed as the basal diet of the trial was supplemented with 0, 30, 60 or 120 ppm Yucca schidigera powder. Yucca supplementation to the diet did not affect feed intake, egg production, feed Conversion efficiency, body weight gain, egg shell, white and yolk weights, shell thickness and shape index but reduced number of cracked eggs (P <0.05). Yucca supplementation also reduced yolk cholesterol content in a dose related (P <0.05) and a time dependent (P <0.01) manner.