Effect of Wolffia meal (Wolffia spp.) utilization as an alternative raw material source in the diets on performances, egg quality and hematological values of laying hens
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Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the use of Wolffia meal as a dietary ingredient for 25-week-old Lohmann Brown laying hens. A total of 48 hens were divided into four experimental groups with three replications per group and four hens per replication. The experimental diets consisted of four treatments: Group 1 (negative control), Group 2 (positive control using corn as the main ingredient), Group 3 (supplemented with 1.5% Wolffia meal), and Group 4 (supplemented with 3% Wolffia meal), arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). All hens were provided with feed and water ad libitum throughout the experimental period. The results indicated that Wolffia meal supplementation had no significant effect on egg production performance. The egg production rate ranged from 88.89% to 97.22% (p>0.05). Regarding feed intake, the group supplemented with 3% Wolffia meal showed the highest feed intake (p>0.05). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) ranged from 2.06 to 2.12 (p>0.05), and the average egg weight was highest in the group supplemented with 1.5% Wolffia meal, at 64.88 g/egg (p>0.05). No significant differences were observed in egg mass or body weight (p>0.05). Haugh unit values ranged from 70 to 86 (p>0.05). The yolk diameter in the negative control group was the smallest (26.45 mm) and was significantly lower than that of the Wolffia meal–supplemented groups (37–41 mm) (p=0.0078). No significant differences were found in yolk or albumen weights (p>0.05). Egg yolk color intensity increased in the group supplemented with 3% Wolffia meal. The packed cell volume (PCV) of the hens ranged from 27.76% to 29.52% (p>0.05). The red blood cell (RBC) count was highest in the group supplemented with 1.5% Wolffia meal (2.9 × 10⁶ cells/µL) (p=0.0409), while white blood cell (WBC) counts ranged from 11.65 to 13.15 × 10³ cells/µL (p>0.05). In conclusion, supplementing Wolffia meal at 1.5% and 3% in the diets of laying hens did not adversely affect egg production performance or egg quality.
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