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. 2021 Jan;7(1):184-193.
doi: 10.1002/vms3.343. Epub 2020 Aug 30.

Effects of supplementing hen diet with Lavandula angustifolia and/or Mentha spicata essential oils on production performance, egg quality and blood variables of laying hens

Mehran Torki  1 , Ahmad Mohebbifar  1 , Hamed Mohammadi  2
Affiliations

Effects of supplementing hen diet with Lavandula angustifolia and/or Mentha spicata essential oils on production performance, egg quality and blood variables of laying hens

Mehran Torki et al. Vet Med Sci. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Organic products of animals are getting more accepted by consumers. Using herbal additives may lead to more health animal products. In this research it is hypothesized that Lavandula angustifolia and/or Mentha spicata essential oils would be helpful to enhance production performance in laying hens.

Objectives: This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Lavandula angustifolia and Mentha spicata essential oils on performance, egg traits and blood variables in laying hens.

Methods: 144 Lohmann LSL-Lite laying hens from 42 until 56 weeks of age were used in a completely randomized design in four treatments and six replicates (six birds per replicate). The treatments consisted of: (a) control group (basal diet), (b) basal diet supplemented with 250 mg/kg diet lavender essential oil (LEO), (c) basal diet supplemented with 250 mg/kg diet mint essential oil (MEO), and (d) basal diet supplemented with both LEO and MEO.

Results: Using LEO and/or MEO did not affect body weight changes, feed intake, egg weight, egg index, yolk index, Haugh unit, egg shell weight and egg shell thickness. Feeding LEO, individually or in combination with MEO, did not affect FCR compared with the control group (p < .05), however, feeding MEO individually increased feed conversation ratio (FCR) compared to LEO and the control group during 42-56 weeks (p < .05), as well as decreasing egg mass compared to LEO (p < .05). Feeding LEO increased egg production compared to MEO and combination of MEO and LEO (p < .05).

Conclusions: In conclusion, dietary supplemental MEO (250 mg/kg) may increase FCR, and LEO (250 mg/kg) is more effective than MEO (250 mg/kg) for egg production and egg mass purposes; besides MEO (250 mg/kg) negatively affected FCR compared with the control group. In addition, no specific beneficial effect of dietary supplemental MEO and/or LEO on the other measured variables was detected.

Keywords: blood variables; egg production; herbal additives; laying performance; morphometric egg traits; phytogenic feed additives.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Effects of dietary treatments on feed conversion ratio (feed/egg) of the laying hens
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Effects of dietary treatments on hen‐day egg production (%) of the laying hens
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Effects of dietary treatments on egg mass (g hen−1 day−1) of the laying hens
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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