EFFECT OF OLIVE CAKE ON LAYERS PERFORMANCE AND EGG QUALITY

Two hundred and forty white Hy-Line layers at sixty two weeks of age were used in the experiment (four treatments, sixty birds in each) that lasted for eight weeks to evaluate olive cake (OC) as a source of nutrients. Yellow corn of the diet was partially replaced by olive cake at levels of  0, 6.5,9.75 or 13% . The results obtained could be summarized as follows:

1.                  There was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in final body weight when olive take was fed at level of 13%.                       

2.                  Egg production, egg weight, feed consumption and feed conversion were significantly (P<0.05) decrease when olive cake was used at level of 13%.

3.                  Olive cake had no significant effect on egg quality measurements.

4.                  It seems that replacing of olive cake up to 9.75% olive cake in layers diets had the highest relative economic efficiency.

5.                  Levels of cholesterol decreased significantly (P<0.05) in blood plasma of layers consumed diets including 6.5, 9.75 or 13% olive cake. However, the levels of plasma total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, GOT and GPT were insignificantly affected with olive cake inclusion.

Therefor, it could be concluded that olive cake can be used in layer diets at levels up to 9.75% on the expense of dietary corn without detrimental effects on their productive performance.