The Effects of Different Levels of Tomato Pomace and Processing Methods on Production Performance and Blood Metabolites of Native Laying Hens

In this experiment 180 Azerbaijan province native laying hens from 28 to 40 weeks were separated in 6 treatments and 3 replicates (10 birds per replicate) as a (2 × 3) factorial arrangement of treatments in a com-pletely randomized design. Treatments included two levels of dried tomato pomace (DTP) (8 and 16%) and 3 types of using methods (unprocessed, alkali and acid processed). The results showed that different levels of DTP and processing methods significantly affected the performance, egg traits and blood parameters of native laying hens (P < 0.05). Using 16% of DTP in contrary with 8%, without having any other adverse effects on feed conversion ratio and other production parameters, only reduced the eggs weight. In interac-tion between the levels of DTP and processing methods, alkali processing, improved the adverse effects of high level of DTP on eggs weight, while acid processing could not show this effect. DTP processing and levels, improved the egg yolk color index. Processing with acid increased the values of triglyceride and albumin in the hensʹ blood. In 16% of DTP, more than triglyceride and albumin, the level of total protein in contrary with 8% increased. Interaction between DTP and processing methods showed that with 16% of DTP in alkali treating, the values of triglyceride and albumin in blood reduce, while the total protein in-creased. In acid treating, the percentages of heterophile and heterophile to lymphocyte ratio reduced, while the lymphocyte percentage increased. The overall results showed that in native laying hens, using dried tomato pomace up to 16% of their diets, not only did not have any adverse effects on their performance, egg traits and blood parameters, but also increases some of them, that these beneficial effects improved by alkali and acid processing methods.