The Short-term Response of Layers on Commercial Layers Mash and Dietary Fishmeal Supplement in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Sixty Harco layers in their 12th weeks of lay were randomly allocated to six treatments, ie T1 (100% layers mash), T2 (layers mash+1% fishmeal), T3 (layers mash+2% fishmeal), T4 (layers mash+3% fishmeal), T5 (layers mash+4% fishmeal) and T6 (layers mash+5% fishmeal). The hens were given the experimental diets and water adlibitum for 8 weeks after a two-weeks adaptation period. The mean day and night temperatures were 39.7 and 35.2°C respectively, and relative humidity was 26.5% during the trial. There was a gradual decrease in the feed intake as the temperature increased towards the end of the study (between 6th to 8th weeks) in all the groups. Slightly higher mean values for egg weight and eggs shell thickness were obtained in T5. The present results showed that the replacement of fishmeal to layer mash at 4 to 5% resulted in significantly increased feed intake and no mortality under heat stress usually experienced during the hot period (February-April) in Adamawa state, and thereby increasing total profit. However, there are no significant effects of the replacement of fishmeal on the egg weight and egg physical characteristics.