Table 3 Performance, egg qualities and serum characteristics of layers fed cashew reject meal based diets

Initial Live Wt

1565.00

1570.50

1480..00

1355.70

1443.80

1520.40

1505.50

65.55

Final Live Wt

1576.70^ab

1586.70^a

1496.00^c

1400.00^c

1500.00^bc

1676.70^a

1650.00^a

80.10

Av. body wt gained

10.00^c

15.10^c

15.50^c

44.00^b

55.50^b

155.20^a

144 .00^a

13.10

Hen day Prod. (%)

63.90^ab

67.20^a

68.90^a

62.70^ab

58.60^b

55.80^b

58.60^b

5.00

Feed intake (g/day)

130^a

140^a

130^a

110^c

128^a

125^ab

115b^c

7.30

Abdominal fat wt

4.34^c

4.28^c

5.60^b

5.97^b

5.62^b

6.24^ab

8.01^a

0.55

Feed conversion R.

3.66

4.36

3.38

3.57

3.65

4.16

4.11

0.52

Cost of feed (₦)

59.71^a

53.66^b

50.64^bc

47.51^c

56.27^ab

54.02^bc

51.77^bc

2.10

Cost/kg egg weight, ₦

218.53^ab

244.69^a

171.16^c

169.61^c

200.50^b

204.93^b

212.77^b

11.50

Egg weight, g

49.7

53.7

53.83

49.00

49.83

53.00

49.00

1.5

Shell thickness, mm

0.33

0.34

0.34

0.33

0.32

0.32

0.34

0.03

Yolk thickness, cm

1.56

1.58

1.59

1.62

1.56

1.61

1.65

0.25

Albumen thickness, cm

0.66

0.66

0.70

0.59

0.59

0.65

0.65

0.05

Cholesterol, mg/dl

55.00

50.00

55.05

62.00

64.00

62.00

65.00

8.50

Protein, g/dl

4.20

3.65

3.95

3.70

3.60

3.70

4.15

0.35

Albumin, g/dl

2.40

2.20

2.00

2.30

2.10

1.90

2.30

0.25

Globulin, g/dl

1.80

1.45

1.95

1.40

1.50

1.80

1.85

0.55