Effect of triticale, lucerne pellets, furazolidone, ethoxyquin and oxycarotenoids on egg yolk colour and performance of crossbred layers

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Abstract
In the first of two factorial experiments, 26-week-old crossbred pullets were fed for a period of 24 weeks diets with lucerne either in the form of meal or crumbled pellets, with or without 25 p.p.m. furazolidone and with 1 p.p.m. of either G-apo-8'-carotenoic acid ethyl ester or canthaxanthin. In the second experiment, crossbred hens aged 58 weeks were fed for a period of 16 weeks either triticale or wheat, or triticale plus wheat or wheat plus oats on a free choice basis with a concentrate mixture containing either 0 or 333 p.p.m. of ethoxyquin. Lucerne pellets reduced rate of egg production, hen-housed production, efficiency of feed conversion and the income per bird. It increased feed intake by 3.2 per cent and egg yolk colour by 2 per cent. Furazolidone increased hen-housed production and efficiency of feed conversion but had no effect on egg yolk colour. Pullets given diets with canthaxanthin laid eggs with higher yolk colour scores and specific gravity and converted feed more efficiently than those given the diets with G-apo-8'-carotenoic acid ethyl ester. The depressive effect of lucerne pellets on egg production and feed conversion was overcome by both furazolidone and canthaxanthin. Triticale reduced the concentration of oxycarotenoids in egg yolks, Hens given triticale tended to eat more, convert feed less efficiently and gained less liveweight than those given wheat, but rate of egg production and egg weight were unaffected. The performance of hens given triticale plus wheat fell between that of those given either triticale or wheat as the sole cereal. Hens given wheat plus oats tended to lay fewer but heavier eggs with lower yolk colour and gained less liveweight than those given wheat. Ethoxyquin increased the concentration of oxycarotenoids in egg yolks but had no effect on other production traits.