Individual and Combined Effects of Black Cumin Seeds and Turmeric Powder on Performance and Egg Quality Traits in...

Rising feed costs and concerns over synthetic additives have increased interest in natural alternatives to improve poultry productivity.

This study investigated the individual and synergistic effects of dietary black cumin seed and turmeric powder supplementation in laying hens.

Four hundred eighty 19-week-old Isa Brown pullets were randomly allocated, in a completely randomised design, to four treatment groups with four replications of 30 birds each and raised from 19 to 30 weeks of age. The experimental diets were formulated as follows: T₀ (control, without black cumin seed and turmeric powder), T₁ (1% black cumin seed), T₂ (1% turmeric powder) and T₃ (0.5% black cumin seed + 0.5% turmeric powder).

Supplementation with black cumin seed (T₁) significantly improved hen-day egg production, egg mass, shape index, shell thickness, Haugh unit, and yolk-albumen ratio compared with the control. Turmeric powder (T₂) was most effective in enhancing yolk colour and also improved shell weight and albumen quality. Combined supplementation (T₃) did not show additive effects and, in some traits, resulted in lower values than individual supplementation. Feed conversion ratio was not significantly different among treatments, though T₀ and T₂ showed numerically better efficiency than T₁ and T₃.

Black cumin seed supplementation (1%) is effective for improving overall egg production and quality, while turmeric powder (1%) is particularly beneficial for yolk pigmentation. Combined supplementation may not be advantageous. These findings highlight the potential of black cumin seed and turmeric powder as natural feed additives to enhance laying performance and egg quality in layer diets.