Additive Effects of Vernonia amygdalina and Ocimum gratissimum on the performance and Egg Quality Parameters of laying Hens

Sixteen (16) weeks feeding trial was conducted to determine the additive effects of dietary inclusion of Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf) and Ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) leaf meals, performance and egg quality parameters on 150 ISA Brown layers. The bitter leaf (BL) and scent leaf (SL) were analyzed to contain 91.87% and 90.03%; 13.52% and 15.52%; 12.22% and 10.39%; 8.55% and 10.55%; 8.18% and 6.73%;1.34% and 1.18%; 6.00% and 3.60%; 2.08% and 1.96%; 0.148mg/dl and 0.096 mg/dl; and ++ and +++ for dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash, alkaloid, tannin, flavonoid, steroid and saponins respectively. Five isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain BL and SL, 0%:0% which is the control (T1); 0%:0% with antibiotics (T2); 75%:25% (T3), 50%:50% (T4) and 25%:75% (T5) respectively. Each of the dietary treatments were replicated thrice, with ten birds per replicate, in a completely randomized design. The pullets (8 weeks) were first maintained on the control diet, up to 12 weeks of age, and were randomly distributed for the administration of the experimental pullets’ diets containing approximately 2500Kcal/Kg ME and 14% crude protein. At 14 weeks of age, the birds were administered the experimental diets for a period of 4 months. Data were collected on some performance characteristics and egg internal and external qualities parameters. The results obtained indicated that at the combination level of 25%BL and 75% SL, reduced feed intake, feed efficiency, percent hen day and final body weight. Similarly, at 25% BL and 75%SL, a corresponding increase in the eggshell thickness, yolk colour, yolk weight, haugh unit and egg shape were recorded. Conclusively, laying birds can be fed 25% BL and 75% SL inclusion level to obtain good performance and acceptable egg quality.