Vitamins A, E and fatty acid composition ofthe eggs of caged hens and pastured hens

In the US farmers often market pastured poultry eggs for a premium price, claiming animal and human health benefits. Weexamined how moving pastured hens to forage legumes or mixed grasses influenced hen (Gallus gallus L.) egg omega-3fatty acids and concentrations of vitamins A and E. We also compared the eggs of the pastured hens to those of hens fed acommercial diet in cages. We used a cross-over design to compare pasture species: 75 sister hens were assigned to one ofthree pasture treatment groups: (1) alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), (2) red and white clover (Trifolium pretense L. andTrifolium repens L.) or (3) mixed cool season grasses. Groups were rotated to all three pasture treatments, each for 2 weeksand supplemented with 70 g commercial hen mash bird - 1 day - 1. Pasture botanical composition, forage mass, leaf to totalratio and plant fatty acid composition were compared among pasture treatments. Eggs of the pastured hens were comparedto eggs of 50 sister hens that were fed only commercial hen mash in cages for the entire 6 weeks. Forage parameters variedsomewhat, but did not explain plant linolenic acid variation. Seventeen of the 18 quantified egg fatty acids, and vitamin Aconcentrations did not (P < 0.05) differ among the three pasture treatment groups. Eggs of the hens that foraged grasses had23% more (P < 0.0001) vitamin E than eggs of hens that foraged clover. Compared to eggs of the caged hens, pastured hens’eggs had twice as much vitamin E and long-chain omega-3 fats, 2.5-fold more total omega-3 fatty acids, and less than halfthe ratio of omega-6:omega-3 fatty acids (P < 0.0001). Vitamin A concentration was 38% higher (P < 0.05) in the pasturedhens’ eggs than in the caged hens’ eggs, but total vitamin A per egg did not differ. At the end of the experiment, pasturedhens weighed 14% less and averaged 15% lower hen-day egg production than caged birds (P < 0.0001). Results suggest thatgrass pastures may enhance vitamin E in eggs of pastured hens more than clover, and pastured hens supplemented withcommercial mash will produce eggs with significantly more vitamin E and total omega-3 fatty acids compared to eggs fromcaged hens fed only commercial hen mash. Pastured hens may have lower body weight and egg production than caged hens,unless they are supplemented adequately to meet their dietary energy and crude protein needs