PHENOTYPIC CORRELATIONS AMONG EGG QUALITY TRAITS OF SHIKA BROWN LAYERS FED DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH LYSINE IN THE TROPICS

Abstract

One hundred and sixty-five Shika brown birds at point of lay were used to evaluate the effect of lysine supplementation on egg production, external and internal egg quality characteristics of layers. The experiment, which was in a completely randomized design (CRD), had five treatments each replicated three times. There were 11 layers per replicate. The experimental diet contained 17% Cp and 2608.53 Kcal/Kg layer mash supplemented with 0.1 to 0.4% lysine. The control diet (C+1) had no lysine supplementation. The study lasted for 5 months. Results indicated that supplementation of the layer diet with lysine significantly altered some important components of external and internal egg quality characteristics of the layers but did not influence egg weight. The correlation between yolk height and albumen height and haugh unit and albumen height were significantly positive and high respectively (r=0.613; P < 0.05 and r=0.960; P < 0.01). Egg weight and egg diameter were positively and highly correlated with egg weight (r=0.609; P < 0.05 and r=0.842; P < 0.01). Therefore, it is concluded that it could be of economic important to supplement the diet of early layers with 0.3% lysine and that albumen height, egg height and egg diameter could be good predictor of egg weight and egg protein qualities.