Fresh-water green algae (chlorophyta) as a natural pigment for mojosari ducks

An experiment in a completely randomize design was undertaken to study the use of fresh-water green algae as a yolk coloring agent in mojosari ducks during a laying period on productive performance and egg quality from 36 to 44 wk of age. a total of 80 thirty-six wk-old laying ducks were divided into four dietary treatments and each of four replicates with 5 birds. diets were formulated with a commercial concentrate,rice bran and yellow corn (2:4:4) according to a commercial standard diet as a control,and three other dietary treatments with 2,4 or 8% of green algae were included. fresh water green algae had a significant effect on the feed uptake,egg production,and feed conversion ratio (fcr) (p<0.05). egg production and fcr improved at added 2 and 4% green algae. no differences were observed in egg yolk index,albumen index,haugh unit,and egg shell thickness (p>0.05) except egg yolk color. the yolk color increased within 7 days after feeding with the test diets. the present study indicated that fresh-water green algae could be used as a natural coloring agent in laying ducks and at 8% of green algae showed the highest score of (roche yellow color-15). © 2015 diponegoro university. all rights reserved.