Effect of High Levels of Alfalfa Meal on Egg Production, Yolk Color, Fertility and Hatchability ,

EGG yolk pigmentation can be effectively increased by increasing the dietary level of dehydrated alfalfa meal (Sunde, 1962; Sullivan and Holleman, 1962; Farr et al., 1962; Carlson et al., 1962). However, the effect of high levels (6–20 percent) of alfalfa meal on egg production rate, fertility and hatchability has not been thoroughly studied. Some ten to fifteen years ago alfalfa meal was believed to contain a chick growth inhibitor (Cooney et al., 1948; Lepkovsky et al., 1950). Heywang (1950) noted that both dehydrated and sun cured alfalfa meals might contain factors which retard egg production and chick growth. Heywang and Bird (1953) and Anderson (1957) found that the “cholesteride saponin” fraction of alfalfa would depress the diet consumption, growth and feed efficiency of chicks. Heywang et al. (1959) fed diets containing 0.4 percent of alfalfa saponin to laying chickens. Egg production was depressed, but returned to normal when the…