Effects of an Unblanched Peanut and/or Peanut Skin Diet on Egg Quality, Egg Lipid Chemistry, and Performance of Hens Housed in a Cage-Free Environment

Peanuts and poultry production predominate within the southeast US. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the dietary effects of unblanched (skin-intact) high-oleic peanuts (HOPNs) and peanut skins (PN skins) on layer performance, egg quality, and fatty acid profile. To meet these objectives, 200 hens were randomly assigned to four treatments, housed in floor pens, and fed ad libitum for 8 weeks a control, HOPN (24%), PN Skin (3%), or 2.5% oleic acid (OA) diet. All empirical data was statistically analyzed for variance at the <i>p</i> < 0.05 level. Hens fed the HOPN and PN Skin diets had heavier body weights relative to the controls at week 8 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Layers fed the HOPN treatment had poor FCR and smaller egg weights with lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids relative to the controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Hens fed the PN Skin treatment had similar performance parameters, egg quality, and egg chemistry relative to the controls over the 8-week study. These results imply that PN skins may be an acceptable poultry feed additive without adverse effects on performance, egg quality, or egg lipid chemistry. Also, these results demonstrate the potential value-added utilization of PN skins, a waste by-product of the peanut industry, as a layer feed ingredient.