The Influence of Breed and/or Strain on the Fatty Acid Composition of Egg Lipids ,

THE iodine number of egg lipid was shown to vary significantly between various breeds and/or strains of poultry (Edwards et al., 1960). Since iodine number of fat is an indication of the unsaturation of fatty acids, it was reasonable to expect that some differences in fatty acid composition of egg fatty acids occurred between various breeds and/or strains. The purpose of the experiment reported in this communication was (1) to determine if the composition of eggs differs between strains, (2) to determine the magnitude of any between strain differences that exist and (3) to determine if differences exist between hens from the same breed, with respect to fatty acid composition of egg lipids. Five strains of chickens housed in individual cages at the Southern Regional Poultry Genetics Laboratory at the University of Georgia were chosen for this study. The hens were fed a commercial laying mash. They were fed…