Effects Of Some Leafy Vegetables And Their Combinations AS Feed Additives On Performance, Egg Quality And Shelf- Life

This study was aimed at exploiting the nutritive and preservative potentials of leafy vegetables on egg quality and shelf-life. 189 Lohman Brown Classic point-of-lay chickens at sixteen weeks with average weight of 1550-1620g were used in a 12-week feeding trials. The birds were allotted on weight equalization basis to seven feeding treatments (T1-T7). T1 was white maize without additive, T2 was yellow maize without additives while T3-T7 were white maize, fortified with synthetic yolk colourant (T3); fortified with Corchorus olitorius (T4); fortified with Talinum fruticosum (T5); fortified with Chromolaena odorata (T6); and fortified with a blend of Corchorus, Talinum and Chromolaena at 0.33% each (T7) respectively. Results obtained from this study showed that the dietary treatments had effects on the performance parameters. Chickens on T3 recorded the highest (P<0.05) Hen-day production followed by T1 and T7 with values ranging from 69.95-89.57%. Similar pattern was observed with Feed/dozen egg. Chickens on T2 had the heaviest egg (63.41 g) followed by T3 (59.45 g) and T1 (58.56 g). The pH values of eggs from T1, T2, T4 and T6 increased as the eggs age while it decreases in T3 and T7. The microbial load in eggs from chickens fed with T1 and T5 increased, T3 remain stable whereas eggs from T2, T4, T6 and T7 decreased with storage days. This study revealed that the blend of Corchorus, Talinum and Chromolaena can be used as alternative source of feed additive without deleterious effects on laying performance, quality characteristics and storage life