Impacts of Supplementation of Herbal Blend and Cinnamon Powder on Laying Performance and Egg Quality in Laying Hens

Herbal plants are increasingly used in animal production as natural alternatives to enhance digestive health, improve animal performance and product quality, and reduce reliance on antibiotics. The present study aimed to assess the effects of a specific herbal mixture powder (HMP), composed of Bidens pilosa (80%), cinnamon (15%), and anise (5%), at different inclusion levels and to directly compare its impact with that of cinnamon powder (CP) on laying hen performance, egg quality, and egg nutritional content. This comparative study randomly assigned 360 laying hens to five dietary treatments with three replicates of 24 hens per group, and fed the experimental diets for 35 weeks. The treatment groups included the control group, which received the basal diet without supplementation (CG), basal diets supplemented with HMP at 1.0% (TG1), basal diets supplemented with HMP at 1.5% (TG2), basal diets supplemented with HMP at 2.0% (TG3), and a basal diet supplemented with 0.5% of CP (TG4). The present results demonstrated that dietary supplementation with 1.5% or 2.0% of HMP significantly improved laying rate and egg productivity, as indicated by reduced feed consumption per 10 eggs, without significantly affecting egg weight, yolk weight, yolk percentage, albumen weight, or albumen percentage compared to the control group. Additionally, HMP inclusion enhanced yolk pigmentation, eggshell weight and percentage, shell thickness, and Haugh units, although egg yolk crude protein content remained unchanged across treatment groups. The TG4 indicated improvements in certain egg quality traits, including higher haugh units and lower yolk fat and cholesterol levels than the control group. Supplementing with 1.5% and 2% of HMP notably decreased egg yolk cholesterol and fat levels compared to the control group, suggesting potential health benefits for consumers seeking lower-cholesterol eggs. The present study demonstrated that dietary supplementation with a multi-herbal powder mixture, particularly at 1.5 and 2.0%, significantly enhanced laying rate, egg production, and feed efficiency in laying hens. Additionally, it improved egg quality, including yolk color, eggshell thickness, and haugh units, and reduced egg yolk fat and cholesterol, providing a natural strategy for producing healthier eggs while potentially reducing reliance on synthetic additives.