Effect of Dietary Supplementation Turmeric Powder on Hen Day Egg Production & Feed Conversion Ratio of Giriraj Birds

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of dietary turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder supplementation on age at first lay, hen-day egg production, and feed conversion ratio in Giriraja birds. A total of 120 fourteen-week-old birds were randomly allocated to four treatments, with five replicates of six birds each. The treatments comprised a control grower-layer mash (T₁) and basal diets supplemented with 1.0% (10 g/kg; T₂), 1.5% (15 g/kg; T₃), or 2.0% (20 g/kg; T₄) turmeric powder. Birds were reared under uniform management conditions and monitored from 14 to 52 weeks of age. Production responses were assessed during the early (22–32 weeks), peak (33–42 weeks), and late (43–52 weeks) laying phases. The control group reached first lay earliest, whereas the turmeric-supplemented groups reached sexual maturity at comparable ages. Hen-day egg production differed significantly among treatments. The 1.5% treatment recorded the highest production during the peak (81.87%) and late (78.84%) phases, while the 2.0% treatment produced comparable values. Turmeric supplementation also improved feed conversion ratio per dozen eggs and per kilogram of eggs, particularly during the peak and late laying phases. Under the conditions of this experiment, dietary turmeric powder at 1.5% was associated with favourable productive performance in Giriraja birds. However, the results should be interpreted within the study’s specific management, feeding, and environmental conditions.