| Abstract: | In a factorial experiment, the laying performance of White Leghorn hens given diets in which triticale replaced 100, 50 or 0% of barley either in the presence or absence of 210 g kg?1 rice pollard and with two levels (2.5 and 3.5 g kg?1) of methionine was examined. The replacement of barley with triticale had no significant effect on egg production, egg weight or feed conversion efficiency. The inclusion of 210 g kg?1 rice pollard increased the weight (P < 0.01) and reduced the yolk colour (P<0.01) of eggs. Neither triticale nor barley had a significant effect on liver weight and lipid content. Triticale increased the palmitoleic acid content but had no significant effect on the content of other fatty acids in the liver and yolk lipids. Rice pollard increased the concentration of linoleic and arachidonic acids in liver and yolk lipids while the concentrations of myristic, palmitoleic and oleic acids were decreased. Increasing the level of methionine from 2.5 to 3.5 g kg?1 in diets with either triticale or barley or rice pollard had no significant effect on any of the egg production characteristics. |
