Dietary Supplementation with Different ω-6 to ω-3 Fatty Acid Ratios Affects the Sustainability of Performance, Egg Quality, Fatty Acid Profile, Immunity and Egg Health Indices of Laying Hens

Youssef A. Attia (), Mohammed A. Al-Harthi, Ahmed A. Al-Sagan, Adel D. Alqurashi, Mohamed A. Korish, Nisreen M. Abdulsalam, Marai J. Olal and Fulvia Bovera ()
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Youssef A. Attia: Sustainable Agriculture Research Group, Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed A. Al-Harthi: Sustainable Agriculture Research Group, Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed A. Al-Sagan: Sustainable Agriculture Research Group, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
Adel D. Alqurashi: Sustainable Agriculture Research Group, Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed A. Korish: Sustainable Agriculture Research Group, Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Nisreen M. Abdulsalam: Sustainable Agriculture Research Group, Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Human Sciences and Design, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Marai J. Olal: Sustainable Agriculture Research Group, Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Fulvia Bovera: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Via F. Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: The supplementation of different ω-6/ω-3 ratio to the diets of the laying hens has been studied to evaluate the effects on performance, egg quality, egg health indices, egg fatty acid profiles, and immune response. One-hundred and twenty, 50-weeks-old hens were divided into three groups fed diets with different ω-6/ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) at ratio: 16.7:1, 9.3:1, and 5.5:1, respectively. Each group contained eight replicates of five hens. Hens fed the diet with the highest ω-6/ω-3 ratio had significantly increased weight gain compared to those fed the 5.5:1 and 9.3:1 ω-6/ω-3 ratios. In contrast, hens fed the 9.3:1 ω-6/ω-3 ratios laid significantly more eggs, had increased egg mass, greater livability, and a better FCR than the control group. However, hens fed a ratio of 5.5:1 ω-6/ω-3 PUFA showed improved thrombogenic, atherogenic, hypocholesteremia, and hypocholesteremia/hypercholesteremia indices. In conclusion, laying hens of the 9.3:1 ω-6/ω-3 PUFA group showed improved laying performance, while a ratio of 5.5:1 enriched the ω-3 PUFA in eggs and boosted the immune response of hens.

Keywords: omega-3; omega-6; supplementation; egg production sustainability; egg quality; egg health index; egg fatty acids; immunity status (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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