Hemp: Novel Laying Hen Feedstuff for Functional Egg Production

Abstract

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) is rich in nutrients, especially for the essential amino acid and essential fatty acid necessary to maintain healthy life. Hempseed contain 32 to 34% carbohydrate, 33 to 35 % fat, 25 % crude protein and 9 to 11 % include fiber, vitamins and mineral. Hempseed oil (HO) contains 75 to 80 % polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) including 60 % linoleic acid, 17 to 19 %-linolenic acid (ALA) and making balanced source of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs. In addition, the bioactive component in Hempseed (HS) is a Δ-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Based on the results from the current review, the inclusion of the hemp by products or hemp in the diets of laying hens does increased overall performance of birds and leads to the enrichment of the n-3 fatty acid content of eggs.