Effects of different fat sources and levels on the fatty acid composition in different tissues of laying hens

To examine the effects of supplemental fat on fatty acid (FA) compositions of some tissues, laying hens were fed diets containing different fat sources (tallow, mixture of tallow and flaxseed oil [1: 1], sunflower oil, flaxseed oil) and levels (2% or 4%); 360 Isa Brown hens were assigned to one of the nine diets. The dietary FA composition was reflected in the FA composition of tissue lipids. The supplemental tallow oil increased concentrations of saturated fatty acids. The proportions of linoleic and arachidonic acids in all tissues for laying hens fed a diet containing sunflower oil (SO) were higher than the other diets. Moreover, increasing the SO level increased the n-6 FAs content. Also, dietary flaxseed oil significantly increased the content of linolenic and other n-3 FAs in most studied tissues. These results indicated that desirable changes can be achieved in FA compositions of poultry meats by using various animal and plant fats in poultry diets.