Journal of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Laying Performance and Egg Quality Evaluation of Pullets Fed Diets Containing Graded Levels of Processed Horse Eye Bean (Mucuna urens) Meal
Effiong, Okokon O.; William, Mary E.; Eyoh, Glory D.

Abstract
This study was designed to evaluate the laying performance and egg quality of pullets fed diets containing graded levels of processed horse eye bean meal (HEBM). The processed beans were used to formulate six layer mash diets with the test sample replacing soybean meal in the control diet. Two hundred and ten (210) pullets at point of lay (22 weeks old) were used for the study. Birds on 15 per cent HEBM diet had a significant (p<0.05) higher percentage hen day production. Average egg weight increased significantly with the highest recorded in birds eating 60% HEBM. The feed efficiency and egg quality parameters were not significantly influenced by the treatments. The birds on 15% HEBM recorded the highest returns on investment (N1196.68). The study concludes that the processed HEBM could replace soybean meal up to 60% in laying birds diet without deleterious effect on the laying performance and egg quality.

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