Laying performance of Egyptian hens fed graded levels of Mung bean  (Phaceolus aureus) offal as replacement for soybean meal and maize

Le Diep Long Bien and Pham Cong Thieu

National Institute of Animal Husbandry, Hanoi, Vietnam
longbienvcn@yahoo.com

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Mung bean offal in diets for laying hens. A total of 108 hens at 30 weeks of ages with an initial body weight of 1.40-1.44 kg were allocated to 6 treatments and 3 replications. The diets were formulated according to Vietnamese official standards. Treatments included a concentrate (0MB) diet, based on soya-bean cake, fish meal, maize meal, rice and 5 experimental diets in which 5% (5MB), 10%(10MB), 15%(15MB), 20%(20MB), 25%(25MB) of the protein of soybean cake and maize meal in the 0MB diet was replaced by Mung bean offal in the diets had no effect on final body weight, total number of eggs laid, feed conversion, and Diminish rate/month. Rate of lay was highest for 0MB (control diet), followed by 10%MB, 15%MB, 20%MB and 25%MB.

There were no effects of treatment on mean shell weight . Haugh Units also showed no effects of treatment. Yolk weight was highest for the 10%MB treatment.  Shell thickness was highest for the 15%MB treatment , whereas yolk index was highest for 15%MB.

Key words: Laying hens, Mung bean offal, egg production, egg quality, 
 

Introduction

Poultry production in Vietnam is still inefficient with respect to both egg and meat production. Traditional poultry diets, which are mainly based on maize, cassava and rice bran are very low in protein content, and fish meal, soybean meal are very expensive compared to by-products such as Mung bean offal.

Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is an important pulse crop throughout South and South east Asia. It is estimated that about 2.66 million hectares of mung bean are cultivated in this area, of which 1.94 million hectares are in India (Park 1978). The yield of mung bean in South east Asia is not high, varying from 0.3 to 0.7 tons per hectare Mung beans are grown everywhere in Vietnam as a protein source for human consumption and in processed foods. After collecting and drying the seed there are residues composed of discolored and broken grains and the outside skin of the bean. These residues have potential as a feed source for livestock, especially chickens.  Hoai Duc and Dan Phuong districts of Ha Tay province and Bac Giang,  Bac Ninh  provinces there are many villages where Mung bean is processed. The farmers buy Mung bean in the rural areas and also import it from China. They separate the discolored and broken beans and remove the skins and package the mung bean to sell to markets for human consumption.

The farmer’s traditionally are using mung bean residue cooked with vegetables for feeding their pigs or sell for animal feed concentrate processing companies around Hanoi such as: Guyomarch feed processing company of NIAH.

The mung bean residue is available throughout the year at a low price. It contains (in DM) 24.3% crude protein and 14.1% crude fiber (Nhan 2005 Unpublished data). There is dearth of information in available literature regarding the growth performance of pullet chicks fed mung bean residue.

Material and methods

Treatments and experimental design

A total of 108 Egyptian laying hens at 30 weeks of age were selected on the basis of growth rate and appearance from the remaining chickens used in a previous growth trial in the station.  The experimental diets were formulated in such a way that there was a stepwise replacement of soybean meal and maize meal with mung bean residue (MB). The experiments were in a completely randomized design (CRD) with six treatments, three replicates, and pullets per replicate. The inclusion levels of mung bean residue in the diets were 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% (table 1).

The treatments were:

• OMB: a basal diet formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of Egyptian hens (NIAH 1995);

• 5MB: basal diet, but with 5% of the crude protein in soybean meal and maize meal replaced by mung bean offal.

• 10MB: basal diet, but with 10% of the crude protein in soybean meal and maize meal replaced by mung bean offal

• 15MB:  basal diet, but with 15% of the crude protein in soybean meal and maize meal replaced by mung bean offal.  

• 20MB:  basal diet, but with 20% of the crude protein in soybean meal and maize meal replaced by mung bean offal.

• 25MB:  basal diet, but with 25% of the crude protein in soybean meal and maize meal replaced by mung bean offal.

The experimental diets were offered at 120 g/head/day throughout 4 months experimental period.

Feeding and management

Mung Bean offal was produced after processing of green bean seed. There were 6 hens per pen. The birds were fed 3 times per day and a fresh batch of concentrate was made each week. Water was freely available and was changed two times per day. The ingredient and chemical composition of the experimental diets are shown in Table 2.

Measurements and statistical analysis

The initial and final weights of the hens were recorded. The number of eggs produced in each pen was recorded daily and 30 eggs in each treatment were taken for determination of yolk weight, shell weight, white weight. Egg yolk color measured by the Roche Yolk Color Fan. Yolk color values of from 1-6 are classified as light yellow (not satisfactory), from 7-10 as average (satisfactory) and from 11-15 as reddish-yellow (satisfactory). Egg weights were measured to ± 0.1g and thickness of eggshell to ± 0.01mm. Haugh units were measured and the values obtained classified as shown below.

 Samples of feeds were taken at intervals for determination of moisture, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and energy using standard AOAC methods (AOAC 1990).  Data were analyzed by ANOVA using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of Minitab version 14. Sources of variation were treatments and error. Results are presented as means with their standard error.

Results and discussion

Replacing 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% of the crude protein of soybean meal and maize meal by mung bean offal (MB), had no effect on final body weight, total number of eggs laid (Table 3), feed conversion, or survival rate  (Table 4). 

Feed costs were reduced by 5.4, 12.4, 9.8, 7.5 and 11 % units, respectively, compared to the 0MB for diets 5MB, 10MB, 15MB, 20MB and 25MB (Table 4). Feed cost per 10 eggs was highest for diet 0MB due to the higher consumption of the 0MB diet, and was lowest for diet 10MB treatment

Of the egg quality traits only egg weight and yolk colour were affected by treatment (Table 5).

Conclusions and recommendations

• Mung bean offal is a potentially valuable protein supplement that can be included in diets for Egyptian laying hens, replacing 5-25% of the protein supplied by soybean meal cake and maize meal. At this level of inclusion most egg performance parameters were not affected, and  yolk color was improved compared to the control diet (0MB). Diet cost per 10 eggs produced was about 5.4-12.4 % lower compared to the control diet (0MB)

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our thanks to the SAREC-MEKARN program for financial support to the senior author for this project.

References

AOAC 1990. Official methods of analysis. 15th Edition. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington DC.

General Statistical Office 2001 Statistical Yearbook. Statistical Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung 2003. Improving the yolk color of quail eggs by supplementing  the rations with cassava leaf meal and Field Crab Roe

Phung Duc Tien,  Nguyen Thi Muoi, Le Thi Thu Hien, Duong Thi Anh Dao 2001. Studying and choosing results of some traids productivity of Egyptian generations. Science report. The National Institute of Animal Husbandry. Page 129. Agricultural Publishing house

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