Abstract In hens the effects of expeller/cakes from
rapeseed, linseed, and hemp seed were investigated
on feed intake, laying performance and fatty acid
composition of egg yolk. A total of 216 individually
caged laying hens were allocated to nine dietary
treatments (5, 10, 15 % cake) and fed for six laying
months. For feed intake, egg mass production and
feed-to-egg mass ratio at 15 % dietary cake level a
significant lower performance was shown compared
with the 5 and 10 % cake level groups. Also interaction
was significant for all these parameters,
indicating that the cake level acted differently for the
three cakes. The egg mass production was lower in
the linseed cake than in the hempseed groups and
the hens fed the linseed cake needed significantly
more feed per kg egg mass compared with both the
other cakes tested. Increasing dietary level of all
oil seed cakes lowered the yolk percentage and
increased the egg white percentage. Increased dietary
levels of all three oil seed cakes lowered the
percentages of most saturated fatty acids and also the
percentages of the monounsaturated fatty acids. The
linoleic acid and the linolenic acid as polyunsaturated
fatty acids were heightened by increasing the
cake levels from 5 to 10 and 15 % in the diet.
The results allow the conclusion that compound feeds
with up to 10 % of cakes does not negatively influence
the laying performance of hens and provides the
possibility of the enrichment of yolk fat with polyunsaturated
fatty acids.