Improvement of Nutritive Values of Local Feedstuffs as Mineral Sources for Kampong Laying Hens

Abstract

Three mineral feeds composed mainly of three locally available materials (limestone originated from Bukit Kamang, freshwater oyster shell and bone ash) were investigated to improve their nutritive values as mineral sources for diet of Kampong laying hens. The first formula was enriched with micro minerals (P1). The second was enriched with micro minerals and supplemented with vitamin (P2). The third was supplemented with both micro minerals and vitamin and amino acid DL-methionin (P3). The minerals were mixed at the level of 6% into basal diet. Two other diets were used as controls. The first was basal diet mixed with 6% of mixture limestone, oyster shell and bone ash (P4), while the second was basal diet mixed with a commercial mineral feed (P5). The five experimental diets were then fed to 150 Kampong laying hens. The hens were divided into 3 groups based on body weight: heavy, medium and light. Each group was subdivided into 5 subgroups in accordance with number of treatments, so that each treatment consisted of 3 replicates containing of 10 hens. Parameter measured included: feed intake, egg production, FCR, eggshell quality, mineral retention and mineral composition of tibia bone. The results showed that laying performances of Kampong hens were significantly improved, when local mineral feeds were fortified with micro minerals, vitamin and amino acid. The hens fed with diet supplemented with local mineral feed and enriched with micro minerals, vitamin and amino acid showed no significantly different performances with that of supplemented with commercial mineral feed.