overcoming cold stress challenges in indigenous laying hens through diet supplementation with garlic, hot chili, and onion

In this study, the ability of dietary supplementation (2%) with fresh garlic (allium sativum), onion (allium cepa), and hot chili pepper (capsicum annuum) to reduce cold stress and improve the productivity response of indigenous laying hens (gallus gallus domesticus) was investigated. these dietary additives were administered over a two-month period, from november to december. hens (36 weeks old; n = 180) were assigned to four groups (n = 45/group) and housed in a mediterranean temperate climate, where temperatures can drop as low as 3°c. two percent supplements or cornmeal-based diets without supplements (control) were administered to the groups. assessments were made on egg production, feed conversion ratio (fcr), egg quality, cholesterol levels, and plasma hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone (fsh), luteinizing hormone (lh), and corticosterone. the results showed no significant differences in body weight (p>0.05) across the groups. however, throughout the experiment, egg production, feed conversion ratio, and egg mass were significantly higher (p<0.05) in all supplemented groups. egg protein content improved (p<0.05) with garlic and chili, and garlic supplementation reduced cholesterol levels (p<0.05). yolk color was enhanced by the chili additive (p<0.05). garlic and chili also elevated fsh and lh levels (p<0.05) and reduced corticosterone concentrations (p<0.05), while onion showed milder effects. these findings suggested that allium sativum and capsicum annuum enhance cold stress resilience, productivity, and egg quality in laying hens, supporting their use as natural feed additives to improve welfare and performance under cold stress conditions.