Effect of strain and age of layer chickens on proximate contents of egg yolk and albumen

This research assessed the effects of strain and age on the proximate compositions of egg yolk and albumen of the domestic chicken. A total of 504 eggs were used in a 3 X 3 factorial experiment involving the Lohmann white, Lohmann brown and White Leghorn which were 31, 40 and 53 weeks old using a completely randomised design (CRD). Data obtained were subjected to the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the general linear model (GLM) procedure. Differences in means were separated using the Tukey pairwise comparisons method at 5% level of significance. The results show that, eggs from the Lohmann layers have significantly more protein but lower fat content in the yolk than the White leghorn; while albumen protein was slightly higher in the White leghorn with lower albumen fat in the white strains than the Lohmann brown. Protein content of egg yolk significantly increased as the birds advanced in age but albumen protein was not affected largely by layers’ age. Yolk fat significantly decreased as the birds grew but albumen fat was not substantially affected by age of the hens. There was significant effect of strain by age interaction on yolk and albumen protein contents but not on their fat content across the chicken groups. There are variations in the proximate contents of egg yolk and albumen of layer chickens by virtue of their genetic constitution and ages; so, eggs must be produced from the best strains at the appropriate hen-ages to make their nutrient contents meet the needs of specific consumers and products.