Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] Seed Meal in Layer Diets: 2. Laying Performance and Egg Quality Characteristics of Pullets Fed Raw or Processed Pigeon Pea Seed Meal Diets During Grower and Layer Stages of Life

Abstract

Laying performance and egg quality characteristics of grower pullets fed raw or processed pigeon pea seed meal diets during grower and layer stages of life were determined with 135 black Bovan Nera grower (126 days old) pullets. Each raw or processed (toasted for 30 minutes, boiled for 30 minutes, or soaked in water for 24 hours) seeds, which constituted a treatment, were milled. Each treatment had three replicates and nine birds per replicate in a completely randomized design (CRD). The experimental diets were isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. Live weight, feed intake, live weight gain, egg production, mortality, external and internal egg quality characteristics were measured. Results showed that there were non-significant (P>0.05) differences among the layers fed PSM diets in all the egg production parameters measured, except daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR). However, layers fed boiled PSM diet had the highest hen-day production (67.64%), feed intake (105.57 g/b/d) and hen-housed production (78.71%). Layers fed soaked PSM diet had the lowest hen-housed production (66.30%), hen-day production (58.38%), egg mass production (1083.16 g), poorest FCR, and highest number of cracked eggs. The conclusion was that raw, boiled or toasted PSM included as 30% of the diet could be fed to layers that had received 20% PSM diet during the grower stage of life without adverse effects on egg production, external and internal egg quality characteristics. It should be expected that soaked PSM diet could adversely affect egg production as well as external and internal egg qualities.