Sousa, I.S.; Bezerra, R.M.; Silva Filho, E.C.; Bezerra, L.R.; Edvan, R.L.; Lima, S.B.P.; Lopes, E.C.; Carvalho, F.L.A.; Moura, F.A.S.; Souza, G.I.; Dourado, L.R.B. Use of Cactus Pear Meal in the Feeding of Laying Hens in Semi-Intensive System. Animals2024, 14, 625.
Sousa, I.S.; Bezerra, R.M.; Silva Filho, E.C.; Bezerra, L.R.; Edvan, R.L.; Lima, S.B.P.; Lopes, E.C.; Carvalho, F.L.A.; Moura, F.A.S.; Souza, G.I.; Dourado, L.R.B. Use of Cactus Pear Meal in the Feeding of Laying Hens in Semi-Intensive System. Animals 2024, 14, 625.
Sousa, I.S.; Bezerra, R.M.; Silva Filho, E.C.; Bezerra, L.R.; Edvan, R.L.; Lima, S.B.P.; Lopes, E.C.; Carvalho, F.L.A.; Moura, F.A.S.; Souza, G.I.; Dourado, L.R.B. Use of Cactus Pear Meal in the Feeding of Laying Hens in Semi-Intensive System. Animals2024, 14, 625.
Sousa, I.S.; Bezerra, R.M.; Silva Filho, E.C.; Bezerra, L.R.; Edvan, R.L.; Lima, S.B.P.; Lopes, E.C.; Carvalho, F.L.A.; Moura, F.A.S.; Souza, G.I.; Dourado, L.R.B. Use of Cactus Pear Meal in the Feeding of Laying Hens in Semi-Intensive System. Animals 2024, 14, 625.
Abstract
Little information is available in the literature on the use of cactus pear meal in poultry diets being important to evaluate diets that provide excellent performance and lower production costs. Our objective was to study the use of cactus pear meal in diets of laying hens. In the first study, two diets for male and female chicks were used - 1: 80% reference diet + 20% Miúda cactus pear meal (CPM) and 2: 80% reference diet + 20% Gigante cactus pear meal. The variety Miúda provid-ed better use of metabolizable energy, digestibility coefficient of dry matter, protein, and min-eral matter. In the second study, a control diet was compared to three diets with different levels of CPM for laying hens, in the proportions of 3%, 6% and 9%. No significant differences were found in productive performance. However, there were significant differences in egg quality, texture and color profile of the cooked yolk, egg composition, fatty acids and cholesterol in the yolk. It is possible to use 9% of CPM in the diet of laying hens in semi-intensive system not compromising performance and egg quality, and using 3% of CPM provides higher economic return.
Keywords
Alternative feed; productive performance; laying; egg quality
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Zoology
Copyright:
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