The effect of chopped, extruded and pelleted alfalfa silage on the egg quality of organic laying hens

摘要

The experiment was carried out to determine the effect of incorporating young alfalfa in the form of chopped, extruded or pelleted silage in the diet of laying hens on egg quality. Four hundred forty hens, divided into four groups, were used in the study. The control group (A) received a complete feed mixture (CFM), while the silage groups (B, C and D) received a supplementary feed mixture (SFM). The SFM recipe was formulated based on an assumed ingestion of 20% silage in the diet. To achieve the energy requirements of the silage groups, canola oil was incorporated in the SFM. Before ensiling, the alfalfa was chopped for group B and additionally extruded for group C. One half of the extruded silage was pelleted together with the SFM to conform the pelletized silage for group D.