Performance, egg quality, and malondialdehyde in egg yolk of laying hens fed with fingerroot powder under tropical climate

The effect of fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda) powder on laying hen performance, egg quality and malondialdehyde in the yolk was determined in this study. 192 Hy-Line brown laying hens at 43 weeks were allocated into four treatment groups: control (basal diet), basal diet plus vitamin E at 250 mg/kg, and diets containing 20 g and 40 g fingerroot powder/kg. No differences were observed in egg weight, laying rate, egg mass, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio during the first 3 weeks. Over the past 3 weeks, 20 g of fingerroot powder increased egg weight (p < 0.05). During 6 weeks of feeding, the 40 g fingerroot group had lower feed intake (p < 0.05) but a higher feed conversion ratio (p < 0.01). During 3 weeks of feeding, there was no significant difference in egg quality parameters except yolk colour, which significantly decreased in the group with 40 g fingerroot powder (p < 0.01). The 20 g fingerroot group had increased albumen and shell weights after 6 weeks of feeding (p < 0.05). The experimental diets did not affect MDA levels in fresh or stored eggs, and neither vitamin E nor fingerroot powder showed antioxidant activity. In conclusion, a 20 g/kg diet of fingerroot powder may benefit shell weights, albumen height, and egg weight.