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Abstract
1. An experiment was conducted with laying hens to determine to what extent sweet white lupins (Lupinus albus, cv Buttercup) could be used as a protein source in their diets.
2. Twenty five individually caged 20 week‐old Hisex laying hens were used per treatment. The hens were housed in a convection house for the duration of the study which lasted 52 weeks. Two diets were formulated, one containing 300 g sweet lupins/kg and the other containing sunflower oil cake and fish meal as protein sources. These diets were blended to obtain seven diets with lupin inclusion rates of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 g/k.
3. Results indicated that up to 300 g lupins/kg diet can be fed to Hisex laying hens without a significant effect on egg production, egg mass, efficiency of food utilisation, egg shell thickness, Haugh units or yolk colour. Food intake was however, significantly (P<0.05) positively correlated with lupin inclusion rates.
Notes
New address: National Poultry Breeders (Pty) Ltd, P.O. Box 297, Meyerton 1960 South Africa.
