Influence of botanic mixes high in carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) used in layer diets on the quality parameters of the eggs

SUMMARY For this study it was used 2 botanic mixes obtained through selection of plants rich in carotenoids: BA 1 (alfalfa meal, dry pumpkin pulp, dry marigold flowers) and BA 2 (dry buckthorn leaves, dry pumpkin pulp, dry red maize grains and dry marigold flowers). The experiment run for 6 weeks on 120 Lohmann Brown layers (aged 42 weeks). The layers were assigned to three groups (C, E1, E2) and were housed in special cages (4 layers per cage) stacked on three tiers. Group C was fed the standard diet formulation (corn, wheat, soybean meal, rapeseed meal, rice bran) with 16.45% CP and 2538.15 kcal/kg ME. Compared to diet C, the diet formulations for groups E1 and E2 included 2% BA 1 (E1) and 2% BA 2 (E2). Throughout the experiment it was sampled randomly 18 eggs per group in week 2 and in the final of the experiment. The eggs and egg components were weighed; it was also determined the colour intensity, the Haugh unit, egg freshness, eggshell thickness and eggshell breaking strength. In the end of the experiment, yolk colour intensity in E1 (5.87 ±0.89) and E2 (6.04±0.73) was significantly (P≤ 0.05) stronger compared to C (3.27±0.91). Throughout the experiment period, the Haugh unit was constantly higher in the experimental groups than in group C but statistically uninsured. The Haugh unit determinations in the eggs harvested in the end of the experiment and stored for 14 days was significant (P≤ 0.05) higher in E2 group then in C group