Fatty acid profiles from twenty-one plant species identified as palatable for pasture-raised laying hens

Summary

This paper presents fatty acid profiling of twenty-one plant species recorded as palatable for pasture-raised laying hens, providing a biochemical reference for the nutritional value of forage available to free-range flocks. The authors, based at a Colombian institution, likely employed gas chromatography or equivalent analytical methods to characterise lipid fractions, with particular relevance to omega-3 fatty acid supply from pasture. The findings may inform pasture design and management strategies aimed at improving the nutritional quality of eggs produced in extensive poultry systems.

UK applicability

The study was likely conducted in Colombia and the plant species assessed may not correspond directly to those found in UK pastures; however, the underlying principle — that foraged vegetation contributes omega-3 and other beneficial fatty acids to the diets of pasture-raised hens — is broadly applicable to UK free-range and regenerative poultry systems. UK producers and researchers could use the methodology as a template for profiling native pasture species.

Key measures

Fatty acid composition (% of total fatty acids); omega-3 fatty acid content (e.g. ALA, mg/g); omega-6:omega-3 ratio; saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid fractions across twenty-one plant species

Outcomes reported

The study characterised the fatty acid profiles of twenty-one plant species identified as palatable to pasture-raised laying hens, likely reporting proportions of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids including omega-3 and omega-6 fractions. Findings likely assess the potential contribution of foraged plant material to the fatty acid composition of eggs from hens with pasture access.

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