EFFECT OF DIETARY LEVELS OF UNPROCESSED AND UNDEHULLED SUNFLOWER SEEDMEAL ON THE PERFORMANCE OF LAYING HENS.

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding graded levels of unprocessed and undehulled sunflower  seed meal, on the performance of laying hens. One hundred and fifty Black Harco layers in their second month of egg production were randomly alloted to five diets in which sunflower  seed meal (SSM) was tested at levels of 0, 2.5, 5.0,  7.5 and 10.0% of the diets for a ten week period. Average daily feed intake (ADFI), egg weights,  egg shell thickness, yolk index and Haugh units did not show any significant (P>0.05)  treatment effects. SSM significantly (P<0.05)  increased per cent egg production at 7.5 and 10.0% levels over control. Body weight was  significantly (P<0.05) depressed by 5.0 and 10.0% SSM, Dressed carcass weight (% liveweight) of birds on 7.5% SSM was significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of birds on the rest of the diets. Hens on 7.5 and 10% SSM had intestines which were significantly (P<0.05) longer than the intestines of hens on the other diets, Caecum length of birds on 10% SSM was significantly laying hens. (P<0.05) higher than those of birds on diets 1  to 4;  these beans however showed no significant treatment effect on their caeca length. Liver, gizzard and net carcass weights were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by SSM. The effect of SSM on egg production would seem to recommend 7.5% as the optimum level inclusion.