Poultry Studies 2007, Vol 7, Num, 1     (Pages: 038-041)

Possibility of Using a Natural Pigment Source Kem-Glo Instead of Synthetic Pigment Sources in Layer Diets

Engin YENİCE 1 ,Cengizhan MIZRAK 1 ,Meltem CAN 1 ,Uğur YILDIRIM 1

1 Tavukçuluk Araştırma Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü-Ankara - In this research, possibility of using a natural pigment source Kem-Glo produced from red pepper and containing 5 mg/kg red xanthophylls instead of synthetic pigment sources in layer diets and theirs effects on egg yolk color and performance criteria were investigated. A total of 240 Rhode Island Red brown laying hens at 38-week-old assigned to 5 groups were used in the research. First group was given control diet (K) containing no pigment materials and the second group were supplemented the synthetic pigment mixture (3 kg/tone carophyll red % 1 + 0.5 kg/tone carophyll yellow % 1) (SK), while the remaining groups were supplemented with different levels (1, 2, 3 kg/ton) of Kem-Glo (KG-1, KG-2, KG-3). The experimental period was continued for thirty five days. No significant differences among the experimental groups were determined for egg production, egg weight, feed intake, feed efficiency, egg mass, and the weight change of hens (P>0.05), it was found to be significant differences for Roche yolk color fan (RYCF) value (P<0.01). The highest RYCF value was measured for KG-3 in all days, KG-2, SK, KG-1 and K groups followed KG-3, respectively. Consequently, it was seen that possible to use a natural pigment source Kem-Glo produced from red pepper instead of synthetic pigment sources in corn based layer diets. The dose of usage as related to required egg yolk color is advised 2 or 3 kg Kem-Glo/tone diet (10 or 15 mg/kg red xanthophylls). Keywords : Layer, egg yolk color, pigment sources, red pepper, Kem-Glo