Table 4.
Production performance parameters for birds fed the three diets (± SE), and P values for one-way anovas are used to compare each characteristic by diet
| Characteristics | Diet | F | d.f (between, within groups) | P | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | SE ± | 7.5 % | SE ± | 15.0 % | SE ± | ||||
| Change in bird bodyweight (kg) | −0.04a | 0.02 | −0.14b | 0.03 | −0.07ab | 0.03 | 4.29 | 2,26 | 0.02* |
| Mean feed intake days 11–14 (g/bird/day) | 105.13 | 3.33 | 104.33 | 7.19 | 105.47 | 5.34 | 0.01 | 2,26 | 0.99 |
| Feed conversion (g food/g egg) | 1.68 | 0.07 | 1.70 | 0.12 | 1.76 | 0.09 | 0.18 | 2,26 | 0.84 |
| Excreta DM days 11–14 (g) | 119.43 | 4.81 | 126.61 | 7.88 | 143.00 | 7.79 | 2.95 | 2,26 | 0.07 |
| Excreta DM (%) | 23.22a | 0.96 | 26.02b | 0.73 | 27.74b | 1.25 | 5.29 | 2,26 | 0.01* |
| No. eggs/bird/day | 0.99 | 0.01 | 0.99 | 0.01 | 0.98 | 0.01 | 0.26 | 2,26 | 0.77 |
| Birds laying ≥1 egg/day (%) | 98.57 | 0.95 | 98.57 | 0.95 | 98.41 | 1.05 | 0.01 | 2,26 | 0.99 |
| Mean egg weight (g) | 63.38 | 0.99 | 63.02 | 1.46 | 61.47 | 0.99 | 0.73 | 2,26 | 0.49 |
| Mean deformation (µm) | 22.00 | 1.26 | 22.50 | 0.87 | 20.22 | 0.79 | 1.36 | 2,26 | 0.28 |
| Mean Haugh Units | 108.09 | 1.53 | 106.65 | 1.27 | 111.12 | 1.81 | 2.15 | 2,26 | 0.14 |
Percentage values were Arcsine transformed prior to analyses. When P < 0.05, post hoc least significant difference tests were performed. Egg weight, deformation, and Haugh units were derived from eggs produced on days 11 and 12 of the trial. Letters ‘a’ and ‘b’ represent significant differences in the post hoc pairwise comparisons (Bonferroni tests)
Feed intakes are given on an ‘as fed’ wet weight basis
* Significant P value