本研究主要探討canthaxanthin 對蛋雞及蛋鴨產蛋性能、蛋品質及蛋黃成色之影響。試驗一使用36隻52週齡海蘭蛋雞,試驗二使用36隻80週齡棕色菜鴨,分別進行6處理 × 6重複之試驗設計,每一重複組為單獨籠飼之蛋雞或蛋鴨。試驗之6個處理組,分別為對照組(未添加色素之商業飼糧),及添加5 ppm不同canthaxanthin製品之A、B、C、D、E組。試驗進行分成4期,第一期7天為調整期,試驗動物上籠適應,餵給基礎飼糧;第二期14天為蛋黃成色上升期,餵給試驗飼糧;第三期28天為蛋黃成色穩定期,餵給試驗飼糧;第四期14天為蛋黃成色下降期,餵給基礎飼糧。測定項目為蛋雞產蛋性能(採食量、產蛋數、蛋重、飼料轉換率)、蛋品質(豪氏單位、蛋殼厚度、蛋殼重、蛋殼強度、蛋型係數)及蛋黃成色(蛋黃成色分數、色差質、顏色穩定性)。使用色差儀來測定蛋黃的色差值,數據利用一般線性分析與幾何離均差進行統計分析。第二期結果顯示,蛋雞與蛋鴨分別在第7天和第4天到達蛋黃成色分數之飽和。第三期蛋雞與蛋鴨結果顯示,不同的canthaxanthin製品均比對照組有顯著的蛋黃成色效果(P < 0.05)。在第四期,蛋雞與蛋鴨分別在第8天及第14天的蛋黃成色,會降至與對照組相同。兩試驗結果均顯示,不同的canthaxanthin製品對於產蛋性能及蛋品質之測定並無顯著影響。綜合上述,添加不同canthaxanthin製品,對蛋雞與蛋鴨的蛋黃成色均有顯著之影響,其中以製品E的效果較佳。
Two trials were carried out to investigate the effects of canthaxanthin on laying performance, egg quality, and yolk pigmentation of laying hens and laying ducks. Thirty-six 52 weeks-old White Hy-Line W-36 laying hens and thirty-six 80 weeks-old Brown Tsaiya laying ducks were kept in individual battery cages. Both trials were divided into six treatments with six replications per treatment and one bird per replication. Beside the control (Con) (commercial diet without pigmentation), the other five experimental diets were supplemented with 5 ppm of five different canthaxanthin commercial products (A, B, C, D, and E). The experimental periods were divided into four stages. The first stage was the adaptation stage for the birds to get used to experimental diets and environments (7 days). At the second stage the birds were fed with diets supplemented with canthaxanthin until reach the plateau of yolk color score (14 days). The third stage was the stable phase of yolk color score, the birds were fed with diets supplemented with canthaxanthin for 28 days, while the fourth stage was withdraw all canthaxanthin from the feed until the pigmentation effect vanish from the egg yolks (14 days). Laying performances (feed intake, hen-day egg production, egg weight, egg mass, and feed conversion) were recorded daily in all stages. Egg qualities (Haugh unit, shell thickness, shell percentage, shell strength, and shape index) and yolk pigmentations (yolk color score, reflectance colorimetry, and color stability) were recorded weekly in third stage. The color meter with L* a* b* system was used to determine the reflectance colorimetry value of egg yolks of both birds. Data collected were analyzed by one-way ANOVA from Completely Randomized Design and Duncan’s New Multiple Range Test. The results showed that at the second stage laying hens and laying ducks required 7 and 4 days to reach plateau of yolk color score, respectively. In fourth stage, laying hens and laying ducks required 8 and 14 days to eliminate pigmentation effects. The conclusion of current study was laying performances and egg quality of both birds were not significantly influenced by different canthaxanthin products (P > 0.05), while yolk pigmentation of both birds were significantly influenced by the treatments (P < 0.05). Canthaxanthin from product E (HE and DE) gave the highest result for yolk pigmentations of both birds.