Laying Egg Production Supplemented with Antioxidants: an Economical View

A 112-day experiment was conducted to economically evaluate the production of eggs from commercial layers submitted to diets supplemented with levels of plant extracts (dried turmeric powder) added or not to vitamin E. A total of 432 20-week-old white layers were used, distributed in an entirely randomized design, in a 4 × 3 factor scheme (turmeric extract levels and vitamin E levels), with 6 repetitions of 6 birds per cage.The treatments consisted of four levels of turmeric extract inclusion (0; 0.1%; 0.2% and 0.3%) and three levels of vitamin E inclusion (0; 50 and 100 IU/kg).The results calculated at work were favorable to the activity, and the items that most influenced the expenses in the effective production cost were: poultry, feed and labor, respectively.The best economic response in egg production was obtained by layers that consumed 100 IU/kg vitamin E and 0.2% turmeric; because the leveling point represents that the activity equals the revenues with the costs.The best profitability index was found in treatment that contained 50 IU/kg vitamin E and 0.1% turmeric com (16.78%).