PEARL-MILLET IN LAYER DIETS ENHANCES EGG-YOLK N-3 FATTY-ACIDS

A study was conducted to determine whether substitution of pearl mille t for corn in layer diets could enrich egg yolks with n-3 fatty acids. Seventy-two Single Comb White Leghorn hens of a commercial strain in their second cycle of production were fed isocaloric, isonitrogeneous diets (2,860 kcal AME(n)/kg and 16% CP) formulated with corn, equal am ounts of corn and pearl millet, or pearl millet as the grain source. E ach of the three diets was fed to eight replicate groups of three hens for 6 wk. Dietary treatments had no effect on feed intake, BW, egg pr oduction, egg weight, and yolk weight. Feeding millet in place of com significantly decreased yolk pigmentation. The ratio of n-6 fatty acid s to n-3 fatty acids in eggs was 13.1, 10.1, and 8.3 for hens fed corn , corn + pearl millet, and pearl millet, respectively. Feeding pearl m illet produces eggs significantly (P < 0.05) enriched in n-3 fatty aci ds.