Effects of Sea Buckthorn Fruits on Production Performance and Egg Quality of Chicken Gallus gallus domesticus ‘Wuhei’

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to examine the effects of sea buckthorn fruits (SBF) on the production performance and egg quality of chickens during the initial stage of the laying period. A total of 160 chickens were randomly divided into four groups, with 40 birds in each group. The chickens of the control group were fed with a standard feed, while those in the three other groups were fed with the feed supplemented with 1, 2 and 4 g/kg of SBF powder, respectively. It was found that the dietary intake of SBF powder had little effect on the initiation time of egg production, laying rate, average egg weight, yolk weight, yolk ratio, eggshell thickness, albumen texture and yolk texture of the eggs; but the addition of SBF powder at dosages of 2 and 4 g/kg caused significant increase in yolk color and HU values (p<0.01), and the 4 g/kg dose resulted in a marked increase in albumen height (p<0.01). Importantly, dietary intake of SBF powder reduced the cholesterol level in the eggs (p<0.01). Moreover, supplementation of SBF powder into the feed increased the contents of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), with the PUFAs/SFAs ratio enhancing (p<0.001) by adding 2 g/kg SBF powder to the feed. In summary, our study suggests that SBF has potential for application in the production of high-quality eggs with reduced cholesterol, enhanced PUFAs/SFAs ratio, and better aroma and taste.