Study of The Productive Performance of Adding Different Levels of Chenopodium quinoa Seeds to The Diet of Laying Hens

The current study was implemented in a privately-owned poultry field located in Diyala Governorate and extended over a period of 12 weeks, from February 1st to April 25th, 2025. This timeframe was segmented into three equal phases, each lasting four weeks. The primary objective was to evaluate the productive performance of laying hens when supplemented with varying concentrations of Chenopodium quinoa seeds in their diet. A total of 96 Lohmann White laying hens, aged 65 weeks at the onset of the trial, were housed and observed throughout the study. The production phase was categorized into three experimental intervals: 66–69 weeks, 70–73 weeks, and 74–77 weeks of age. Feeding was carried out in accordance with the nutritional standards outlined in the Lohmann White management manual. The hens were randomly allocated into 12 pens, comprising four dietary treatments, each involving 24 birds. Every treatment was further divided into three replicates, with each replicate consisting of 8 hens. The dietary treatments were as follows: Treatment 1 (control) received no supplementation; Treatment 2 was supplemented with 15 mg of quinoa seeds per kg of feed; Treatment 3 with 30 mg/kg; and Treatment 4 with 45 mg/kg. Statistically significant enhancements (P ≤ 0.05) were observed in Treatment 2 regarding egg production percentage, total egg count, and egg mass, when compared to the control group.