Nutrients and Cholesterol of Eggs Affected by Dried Tomato Meal in Laying Hens Diet

One hundred MB 402 laying hens (36 weeks of age) were used for the study. The birds were divided into five experimental diets and each was divided into four replicate groups of five birds per replicate. The control diet (based diet) was formulated to contain 51% corn, 14% rice bran, 7% fish meal, 6% CaCO3, and 22% commercial diet. Tomato meal was included in four experimental diets at levels of 2, 4, 6, 8% to substitute based diet. The treatments were: R0 = 100% based diet (BD) + 0% tomato meal (TM); R1 = 98% BD + 2% TM; R2 = 96% BD + 4% TM; R3 = 94% BD + 6% TM; and R4 = 92% BD + 8% TM. Chemical composition of tomato meal were: 16.73% crude protein, 1.53% fat, 30.94% crude fiber, 0.98% Ca, 1.20% P, and 2416 Kcal/kg ME. Feed and water were provided for <em>ad libitum</em>. The study was conducted over a period of 8 weeks, and data were collected on nutrients of eggs: crude protein, fat, carbohydrate, and cholesterol of eggs. Proximate analysis eggs was determined by the methods of AOAC (1990), and cholesterol was determined by Libermann and Burchad method. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The treatment means were compared using Duncan’s multiple range test. The results showedthat no differences in hen egg nutrients and cholesterol between treatments R1, R2, R3, and R4 compared to treatment R0 (control). It can be concluded that tomato meal can be used as an alternative feedstuff in laying hen diets to substitute based diet, at inclusion levels up to 8% without negative effects on egg quality