Effect of Black Sea algae on chicken egg production and on chick embryo development

: An experiment was carried out with laying hens of the Leghorn breed. The fodder mixture tested was enriched with the addition of 1, 2, and 4 per cent meal of seaweeds. It was found that egg laying rose by 22.7 per cent as against that of the control group, which was best expressed with the addition of 2 per cent seaweeds. The eggs had a considerably higher weight of the shells. The content of calcium and magnesium in the shell as well as that of carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E in the yolk were higher. The intake of feedstuffs of algae produced a favourable effect on hatchability. Highest percent of hatchability--87.95%, i.e., by 6.85 higher than that of the controls was obtained with the addition of 2 per cent of seaweed meal. The weight of the newly hatched chicks was higher, and the content of carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E in the liver of the chicks was greater.