Incorporating high-oleic peanuts in layer diets: Impact on production, egg quality & nutritional profile and calculated egg income and feed cost

Authors: POUDEL, ISHAB - North Carolina State University; Vu, Thien; WYSOCKY, REBECCA - North Carolina State University; MALHEIROS, RAMON - North Carolina State University; ANDERSON, KENNETH - North Carolina State University; Toomer, Ondulla

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/8/2026
Publication Date: 4/11/2026
Citation: Poudel, I., Vu, T.C., Wysocky, R., Malheiros, R., Anderson, K.E., Toomer, O.T. 2026. Incorporating high-oleic peanuts in layer diets: Impact on production, egg quality & nutritional profile and calculated egg income and feed cost. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 35(3):100719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2026.100719.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2026.100719

Interpretive Summary: Previous layer feeding trials have demonstrated that high-oleic peanuts (20%) can serve as a value-added feed ingredient for the production of premium quality nutritionally enriched eggs. Thus, we aimed to conduct an 8-week layer feeding trial to determine the optimal dietary inclusion levels and range (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) of high-oleic peanuts in the diets of layers required for the production of nutritionally enriched eggs without adversely impacting layer performance. Results demonstrated that hens fed the 15% and 20% high-oleic peanut diets had reduced feed intake and improved performance for the conversion of feed to eggs as compared to conventional fed hens. All eggs produced by hens fed the high-oleic peanut containing diets were nutritionally enriched with heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, with reduced levels of saturated fats. Moreover, calculated economic returns on investment was best in the 10% high-oleic peanut treatment group, due to improved feed efficiency and increased egg income gained from increased egg production of high-quality enriched eggs.

Technical Abstract: The poultry industry aims to explore the use of alternative feed ingredients as a substitute to commercial soybean meal in poultry production due to rising costs. High-oleic peanuts, rich in monounsaturated fats and protein, may serve as a viable substitute. This study evaluated the effects of incorporating unblanched high-oleic peanuts (HOPN) at varying inclusion levels (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) in layer diets on production performance, egg quality and lipid chemistry over 8 wks. Two hundred 40-week-old Hy-Line Brown hens were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments for an 8-wk trial. Hen-day egg production (HDEP), feed intake (FI), egg weight (EW), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and egg quality parameters were assessed. Results demonstrated that FI was significantly reduced in hens fed the 15% and 20% HOPN supplemented treatments compared to conventional fed hens at wk 4, 6 and 8 (P < 0.01). FCR was significantly improved in hens fed the 15% and 20% HOPN treatments as compared to the controls at wk 8 (P < 0.01), while at wk 6 FCR was improved in the 20% HOPN treatment compared to the controls (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in any of the egg quality parameters at any of the time points measured. Egg yolks from hens fed the 10%, 15% or 20% HOPN diets had enhanced nutritional profile, with reduced saturated fats, higher levels of oleic and omega 9 fatty acids as compared to conventional eggs at wk 8. While the experimental feed cost/ton was highest in the HOPN treatments, hens fed the peanut-containing diets consumed significantly less feed as compared to the conventional fed hens, lowering the final total experimental feed cost for 15% and 20% supplemented treatments. Calculated economic analysis revealed that the 5% and 10% HOPN treatments had the best egg income, while return on investment (ROI) was best in the 10% HOPN treatment as compared to all other treatments, driven by improved feed efficiency and production performance.