PERFORMANCE, EGG QUALITY, AND SOME SERUM PARAMETERS OF LAYERS FED DIFFERENT PARTS OF STINGING NETTLE (URITICA DIOICA)

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dried stinging nettle plant parts (roots, leaves, seeds) on performance, egg quality, and some biochemical serum parameters. The experiment used 96 Hy-Line W-36 layers, of 28 weeks of age, and was randomly divided into four dietary treatments: the first group fed a diet without nettle as a control (CG), the second group (RG) fed a diet treated with 1% nettle roots, the third group (LG) fed a diet treated with 1% nettle leaves, and the fourth group (SG) fed a diet treated with 1% nettle seeds. Each experimental unit used four replicates, six layers each. The density of 595 cm2 / bird. The experimental period lasted 16 weeks. The results demonstrated that supplementing 1% roots, leaves, or seeds of stinging nettle to layers diets did not show any significant differences in egg production, egg mass, egg weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Likewise, yolk%, albumen%, eggshell%, yolk index, and Haugh units, serum levels of total protein, total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, AST, and ALT, as well, egg yolk cholesterol concentration did not show significant differences (P>0.05). Generally, the use of 1% of stinging nettle parts, such as roots, leaves, and seeds did not improve performance, egg quality, and biological serum parameters.