Abstract

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of inclusion of boiled tomato waste powder in laying hens diet on growth performances and egg quality. Tomato waste used in this experiment was surplus and unsold mature tomato from the last harvest on the field. The tomato waste was boiled in boiling water (100 ºC) for 8 minutes to convert their lycopene structure from trans to cis, which is easily absorbed by the poultry digestive tract. In a completely randomized design, 200 Isa Brown laying hens were divided into five groups with different inclusion levels of boiled tomato waste powder (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12%) in an iso-nitrogenous (16%) and iso-caloric (2600 kcal/kg) diet. Daily feed intake, hen day egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, eggshell thickness, and eggshell strength were measured. The obtained results showed that boiled tomato waste powder in the diet did not significantly affect daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg production and egg quality. In conclusion, the tomato boiled powder could be used up to 12% in laying hens diet with no effect on performance and egg quality of laying hens.