[Evaluation of laying-hen feed with varied vitamin E and antioxidant supplementation]

Abstract

In two experiments with 1,250 laying hybrids the influence of the elimination of vitamin E and antioxidant supplements to the laying hen feed was tested. With mixed feed according to official quality requirements but without vitamin E and antioxidant supplements laying hens achieved the same laying performance and individual weight as the control group. There was no influence on feed consumption, feed expenditure per 100 g egg, mortality, development of body weight, the tensile strength of the eggs and the fat quality of the body either. Vitamin E content in the yolk increases with the growing vitamin E content in the feed. The vitamin E requirement norm of laying hens for consumer egg production is achieved at a native vitamin E content of 7 mg/kg laying hen feed. The supplement of synthetic antioxidant is unnecessary.