Evaluation of replacing maize with mango (Mangifera indica) kernel on fertility and hatchability parameters of layer hens.
Gebremedhn Beyene, Mebrahtom Niguse, Letebrhan Gebreslasie, Amanuel Berhe
Author Affiliation: College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Animal, Rangeland and Wildlife Sciences, Mekelle University, P.O.Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
Livestock Research for Rural Development 27 : Article 241
Abstract : The study was conducted to evaluate replacing maize with mango kernel on fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick quality of layer hens. One hundred twenty chickens with similar body weight and age were used for the experiment. The chickens were randomly distributed to 15 pens each with 8 hens and 1 cock to the five treatments diets in completely randomized design (CRD). The chickens were kept in a deep litter housing system. The treatment rations were formulated to replace maize grain by mango kernel with 0% (MK0), 25% (MK25), 50% (MK50), 75% (MK75) and 100% (MK100). Chickens were offered a weighed amount of feed and feed leftovers were collected and weighed the next morning. The experiment lasted for 90 days during which fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick quality were measured. Fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality, chick length, chick weight and chick visual score were not statistically different among the treatments. Therefore, we concluded that maize can be replaced by mango kernel up to 100% (at a rate of 390 g/kg concentrate diet), since this level of replacement has not negatively affected fertility, hatchability, embryonic mortality and chick quality parameters.