Feeding high-oleic peanuts to layer hens enhances egg yolk color and oleic fatty acid content in shell eggs.

Previous studies have identified normal-oleic peanuts as a suitable and economical broiler feed ingredient. However, no studies to date have examined the use of high-oleic (HO) peanut cultivars as a feed ingredient for laying hens and determined the impact of feeding HO peanuts on performance and egg nutritive qualities. This project aimed to examine the use of HO peanuts as a feed ingredient for layer hens to determine the effect on performance, egg lipid chemistry, and quality of the eggs produced. Forty-eight 40-wk-old layer hens were fed a conventional soybean meal + corn control diet or a HO peanut + corn diet for 10 wk in conventional battery cages. Body and feed weights were collected weekly. Pooled egg samples were analyzed for quality, lipid analysis, and peanut protein allergenicity. There were no significant differences in hen performance or egg quality as measured by USDA grade quality, egg albumen height, or egg Haugh unit between the treatment groups. However, eggs produced from layer hens fed the HO peanut + corn diet had reduced egg weights relative to the controls (P = 0.0001). Eggs produced from layer hens fed the HO peanut diet had greater yolk color scores (P < 0.0001), HO fatty acid (P < 0.0001), and β-carotene (P < 0.0001) levels in comparison to the controls. Eggs produced from hens fed the control diet had greater palmitic and stearic saturated fatty acids (P < 0.0001), and trans fat (P < 0.0001) content compared to eggs produced from hens fed the HO peanut diet. All egg protein extracts from all treatments at each time point were non-reactive with rabbit anti-peanut agglutinin antibodies. This study identifies HO peanuts as an abundant commodity that could be used to support local agricultural markets of peanuts and poultry within the southeastern United States and be of economic advantage to producers while providing a potential health benefit to the consumer with improved egg nutrition.