Effects of an unblanched peanut and/or peanut skin diet on egg quality, egg lipid chemistry and performance of hens housed in a cage-free environment.

Authors: Toomer, Ondulla; Vu, Thien; WYSOCKY, REBECCA - North Carolina State University; MORAES, VERA - North Carolina State University; MALHEIROS, RAMON - North Carolina State University; Read, Quentin; ANDERSON, KENNETH - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/8/2025
Publication Date: 9/12/2025
Citation: Toomer, O.T., Vu, T.C., Wysocky, R., Moraes, V., Malheiros, R., Read, Q.D., Anderson, K.E. 2025. Effects of an unblanched peanut and/or peanut skin diet on egg quality, egg lipid chemistry and performance of hens housed in a cage-free environment. Animals, 15(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15182673.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15182673

Interpretive Summary: Peanut skins are a processing by-product of the peanut industry, with few identified uses. In this study we aimed to investigate the use of peanut skins as a value-added poultry feed ingredient in layers. Hens were fed for 8 weeks either a conventional corn/soy diet or a conventional corn/soy diet supplemented with either 3% peanut skins, 2% monounsaturated fatty acids or 20% unblanched peanuts. Hens fed the peanut skin and whole peanut containing diets had increased body weights as compared to conventional fed birds while all other parameters (total eggs produced, feed consumed, egg quality) were similar between the dietary treatments. This study identifies potential uses of peanut skins within the poultry feed industry and animal food production markets.

Technical Abstract: Peanut skins are a sizeable processing by-product of the peanut industry with few identified uses. In this study we aimed to determine the dietary effects of peanut skins as a poultry feed additive on layer performance, egg quality and chemistry. Two hundred commercial hens were randomly assigned to four treatments (three replicates per treatment) and fed ad libitum for 8 weeks a conventional control diet, diet containing 24% unblanched high-oleic peanuts (HOPN), diet containing 3% peanut skin (PN Skin), and a diet with 2.5% oleic acid (OA). Hens fed the HOPN and PN Skin diets had significantly higher body weights relative to the controls at week 8 of the study (P < 0.05), while all other production parameters were similar between the PN Skin and control treatment groups (P > 0.05). Egg lipid chemistry and egg weights were similar between the control and PN Skin treatments over the 8-week feeding trial (P > 0.05). Eggs produced by hens fed the HOPN treatment had eggs that were enriched with oleic acid compared to the controls at week 6 (P < 0.05). This study suggests that PN skins may be an acceptable alternative layer feed ingredient without adverse effects on layer performance, egg quality or nutritional content.