Moringa stenopetala leaf as an alternative protein source to soybean meal in laying hens' nutrition: Assessing its effect on egg production and egg quality.

This study investigated whether Moringa stenopetala leaves could replace soybean meal in chicken feed for laying hens. Researchers fed 160 laying hens (aged 21-41 weeks) four different diets over 20 weeks: a control diet with no moringa, and three diets where moringa leaves replaced 3%, 8%, or 13% of the soybean meal. The hens were divided into groups of 10, with 4 groups per diet type. The researchers measured egg production, egg weight, feed consumption, and various egg quality factors like shell thickness, egg white height, and yolk color at different time points. Results showed that hens fed moringa-containing diets, especially at 8% and 13% levels, laid more eggs and produced heavier total egg mass compared to the control group. Egg quality also improved significantly - shells were thicker, egg whites were higher (indicating fresher eggs), and yolks were more colorful and better shaped. The improvements were most pronounced in hens receiving the highest moringa levels. Feed intake increased with moringa inclusion, but this was offset by better egg production. The study suggests that moringa leaves can successfully replace a significant portion of soybean meal in chicken feed while actually improving both the quantity and quality of eggs produced.