This study aimed to evaluate the potential of
Moringa oleifera fresh leaves (MOL) as feed supplement
on the performance and egg quality of Rhode Island Red
(RIR) hens under the tropical conditions of Yucatan, Mexico.
Forty-eight RIR hens were allocated in 12 floor pen
replicates each with four birds. Thereafter, the replicates
were divided into three groups which were corresponded
to ad libitum feed (control), ad libitum feed supplemented
with MOLT1 (AL + MOL) and restricted feed amount (20%
lower than control) with MOL T2 (RCD + MOL), respectively.
T1 (AL + MOL) had higher egg laying rate (71.4%
versus 66.6%), higher daily egg mass production (45.4
versus 41.9 g/day), lower feed intake (121.3 versus
127.5 g/day) and better feed conversion ratio (2.8 versus
3.2 g feed:g egg) versus control. T2 / (RCD + MOL) had
lower values of body weight, egg laying rate, egg weight
and egg mass, and recorded better feed conversion ratio than
the control group. The control group recorded a higher
percentage of pecked eggs versus T1 and T2 (6.5% versus
1.2% and 2.0 %). Similar intake of MOL (3.1 and 3.4 g DM/
day) was recorded in T1 (AL + MOL) and T2 (RCD +
MOL). Yolk color was improved significantly in T1 (AL +
MOL) than both control and T2 (RCD + MOL), while T2
(RCD + MOL) had eggs with lower yolk and higher albumen
percentages than the other two ad libitum groups. The results suggest that MOL could be used successfully as
sustainable tropical feed resource for RIR hen
Forty-eight Rhode Island Red laying hens (27 weeks of age)
were randomly allocated in 12-floor pen replicates (0.75 m2/
bird) each of four birds. Thereafter, the replicates were
divided into three groups. The first group (control) fed ad
libitum on a commercial diet (16.5 CP and 2.85 Mcal/kg
feed—Table 1) according to NRC (1994). The second group
T1 (AL + MOL) received the same diet ad libitum and was
supplemented with M. oleifera fresh leaves. The third group
T2 (RCD + MOL) received a restricted commercial feed
amount (received 20% lower feed amount than control) and
supplemented daily with M. oleifera fresh leaves. The average
daily feed intake of control was calculated at the end of
each week, and 80% of that amount was calculated and
added daily to the replicates of T2 (RCD + MOL) during
the following week. All groups received 18 h of light daily,
in which the artificial light was used to complete the natural
daylight. In each replicate of T1 and T2, 300 g of fresh
Moringa leaves (described by Morton 1991) was tied and