The present study aimed to investigate the effects of varying dietary natural feed additives sources and levels during the laying period, elapsed between 24-31 weeks of age on the performance of Inshas Layers. Two hundred and ten 24 weeks old Inshas laying hens were used in this study. Birds were randomly distributed into 7 comparable groups, 30 hens each. Each group was fed one of the 7 experimental diet during the experimental periods. Experimental treatments included two dietary levels of sodium calcium aluminosilicate, sodium bentonite and tafla (0.25 and 0.50%) and control diet (0.0%).
Results revealed that the highest average egg weight, lowest feed intake and better feed conversion values recorded for layers fed 0.50% dietary were sodium bentonite at the end of the experimental period as compared with those of the control and other treatments. On the other hand there were no significant effect for dietary natural feed additives the sources and levels treatments on body weight, gain, egg production, egg mass and egg number of layers as compared with the control treatment.
There were no significant influence of natural clays supplementation in Inshas hen diets on yolk index, shell thickness, albumin weight (%) and shell weight (%) during the experimental period, while there were significant effect (P ≤ 0.05) on egg shape index at 25, 27 and 31 weeks of age, Haugh units at 25 and 27 weeks of age and Yolk weight (%) at 25 weeks of age.
Dietary feed additives sources and levels treatments had no significant effect on characteristics of Layers at the end of experimental periods.
In conclusion, results showed that addition of 0.50% sodium bentonite in Inshas laying hens diets has improved productive, reproductive performance and economical return.