This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of
octacosanol (OCT) extracted from triticale sprout on laying performance, egg
quality, and blood parameters of laying hens. A total of 192, Hyline brown
laying hens aged 43 weeks were divided into 4 dietary groups of 48 birds each
and they were randomly subjected to one of the experimental diets containing OCT
at the levels of none, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg of diet. All birds were fed with
isoenergetic and isonitrogenous mash diets for 6 weeks. The result showed that
hens supplemented with 20 and 30 mg/kg OCT in diet significantly increased (p
< 0.05) egg production than those fed with the basal diet. OCT
concentration in the egg yolk of hens fed with 20 and 30 mg/kg OCT was
significantly higher than in those fed the control diet. Hens fed 20 and 30
mg/kg OCT exhibited greater high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and
interleukin (IL) concentrations and reduced serum concentrations of cholesterol
and triglyceride compared to those fed with 0 and 10 mg/kg OCT. This study
indicates that supplementing the diet of laying hens with 20 and 30 mg/kg of OCT
can improve the performance, egg quality, and health status of laying hens.