Response of single comb White Leghorn layers to dietary inclusion of raw or alkali-treated neem (Azadirachta indica) kernel meal

The performance of White Leghorn layers fed neem kernel meal at a 100 g kg( -1) level for part of the soybean meal in a standard layer mash (D1) either as raw (D2) or pretreated with 2% aqueous NaOH (1:1.2 w/v) for 24 h (D3), was examined. Each of the three diets was offered ad libitum as mash for a 12-week period to sixteen 48-week-old hens housed individually in laying ca ges. The performance criteria included feed intake, egg production, egg qua lity, fertility and hatchability of eggs and chick weight. Overall values w ere: feed intake, 104.0+/-0.89; percent hen day egg production, 76.3+/-0.26 ; feed: egg ratio, 135.4+/-0.92 g; shape index, 73+/-0.29; albumen index, 0 .07+/-0.002; yell; index, 0.38+/-0.02; Haugh unit, 73.5+/-0.78; yolk colour index, 8.63+/-0.06; egg shell thickness, 0.32+/-0.06 mm and yolk cholester ol 14.4+/-0.48. None of the above parameters except yolk index and Haugh un it were found to be significantly (p<0.01) lower for the treated NKM group. Data on fertility, hatchability and mean chick weight were also comparable among the dietary groups. The organoleptic evaluation of eggs also did not reveal any detectable change from the control. The data suggest that inclu sion of NKM in diet of hens up to the 100 g kg(-1) level supported their pr oductive performance with no observable negative effects. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.