The effect of adding different levels of anise seeds and oil Pimpinella anisum L. on some qualitative characteristics of Lohman chicken eggs

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the fields of the Animal Production Department at the College of Agriculture, University of Kirkuk, for the period from 10/1/2023 to 12/31/2023, the goal of the current study was to study the effect of adding different levels of oil and anise seeds affected the external and internal egg traits of Lohman laying hens. Seven treatments were used during the experiment were T1=0% Anise seed or oil, T2= (5g/kg) anise seed, T3=(7.5g/Kg) anise seed, T4= (0.5ml/kg) anise oil, T5= (0.75ml/kg) anise oil, T6=(2.5g/kg) anise seed + (0.25ml/kg) anise oil, T7= (3.75g/kg) anise seed + (0.375ml/kg) anise oil. The traits were taken in five periods along the experiment, (44, 46, 48, 50, and 52) week of age. The treatments show significant differences for the egg quality treats (egg weight, egg length, egg breadth, egg shape index, yolk weight, albumin weight, egg shell weight, egg shell thickness) comparing with the control treatment.  It can be concluded that adding anise seed or oil to the diet of laying hens resulted enhancing and increasing the egg quality characteristics. Therefore, anise seed or oil could be used to improve the laying hen’s performance.

Keywords

• anise
• laying hen
• egg
• characteristics