Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal Supplementation on Egg Production of Laying Hens in Niger State

This study examines the effect of Moringa oleifera leaf meal supplementation on egg production, egg quality, and blood biochemistry of laying hens in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. Moringa oleifera is a highly nutritious indigenous plant rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals that has attracted interest as a poultry feed supplement, but dose-response data for layer production under Nigerian conditions are limited. This study uses a completely randomised design with four treatment levels of Moringa leaf meal: 0, 5, 10, and 15 percent inclusion in a layer mash diet, fed to 120 Isa Brown laying hens allocated in groups of 30 birds per treatment. Egg production percentage, egg weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg yolk colour, Haugh unit score, shell thickness, and serum biochemical parameters are measured over 12 weeks of the production period. Findings reveal that 5 percent Moringa leaf meal inclusion significantly improves egg yolk colour score from 5.2 to 8.4 on the Roche colour fan scale and Haugh unit score from 72 to 81 without significantly reducing feed intake or egg production. Inclusion at 15 percent reduces feed intake and egg production by 12 and 9 percent respectively, attributed to anti-nutritional tannin effects. Serum cholesterol is significantly reduced at all Moringa inclusion levels. The study concludes that 5 percent Moringa leaf meal inclusion optimises egg quality improvement without production penalty in Niger State conditions. It recommends Moringa cultivation promotion among layer producers as a cost-reducing and quality-enhancing feed strategy.

Keywords: Moringa leaf meal, laying hens, egg production, egg quality, Niger State.