A Combination of Wheat Bran and Vegetable Oils as Feedstuff in Laying Hens’ Diet: Impact on Egg Quality Parameters

Wheat bran (WB) is an important side product of the milling industry and plays an increasing role in animal feeding. Despite its nutritional value, its application is limited as a result of its pronounced fiber content. Taking into account the potential use of WB supplementation in feed for laying hens thereby replacing human edible foodstuffs, the influence of different WB levels (0 g·kg-1, 75 g·kg-1, and 150 g·kg-1) combined with sunflower or rapeseed oil on egg quality was studied. Among the egg-related quality parameters investigated, eggshell cleanliness, shell rigidity, egg weight, haugh units, yolk and albumen mass, color, pH value, dry matter, crude protein, crude ash, fatty acid spectrum, cholesterol and α-tocopherol of the yolk were monitored. No negative effect of WB supplementation was observed in terms of egg weight, shell weight, albumen weight, yolk weight, haugh unit, shell thickness and eggshell breaking strength. However, certain parameters (i.e. α-tocopherol content, Σn-3 PUFA) were enhanced by feeding 75 g·kg-1 and 150 g·kg-1 WB. The use of WB (75 g·kg-1 and 150 g·kg-1) had no negative effect on egg quality and can, therefore, be recommended for laying hen diets up to 150 g·kg-1. Additionally, the application of rapeseed oil high in Σn-3 PUFA resulted in yolks exhibiting a low Σn-6 PUFA/Σn-3 PUFA ratio.