Pigment Alternative for Gem in Hens' Eggs in the Municipality of Garrafão-do-Norte / PA

Abstract

In Brazil, although egg consumption is low, it is very present in the diet, because it is affordable and already part of the food habit. The egg contains substances that promote health and prevent disease. The color of the egg yolk comes from the absorption of the carotenoid pigments present in the birds' diet. Although the color of the yolk does not indicate nutritional quality, it is used as a tool to evaluate the egg quality, since it has an important function in the perception of this food. Thus, the color of the yolk is an important criterion for the choice of eggs by the consumer. Therefore, the objective of this study was to verify the effect of the pumpkin as a natural pigment in the coloring of the yolk on hen's eggs. A rural diagnosis was made, soon after the diagnosis an experiment was started. The experimental period had a duration of one week, two lots with 30 hens were used in each, in the 1st batch were the controls (T1) with normal feed and in the 2nd batch the chickens were fed a feed of 98 g of feed + 20 g pumpkin / chicken / day during the 7 Days of Treatment (DT). Through the analysis, it was observed that there was pigmentation in the first days of experimentation and became constant during the evaluated days. The use of the pumpkin as a natural pigmentant, promoted a significant improvement in the color of the yolk, presenting numbers ranging from 8 to 9 according to the fan Yolk Color Fan.