Impacts of food waste as feed ingredient on laying hen productivity, egg traits and intestinal integrity

Food waste constitutes approximately 40–70% of municipal solid waste in Thailand and represents a promising alternative feed resource for sustainable poultry production. This study evaluated the effects of replacing a control feed (CF) with food waste (FW) at inclusion levels of 10% (FW10), 20% (FW20), and 30% (FW30) in laying hen diets on production performance, egg quality, intestinal morphology, and economic outcomes. The food waste consisted primarily of starchy materials (44%), followed by meat (30%), fruits (14%), and vegetables (12%), and was rich in digestible carbohydrates (80.17%) with moderate crude protein content (7.14%). Dietary food waste inclusion significantly affected laying hen performance (p < 0.05). Hens fed FW20 exhibited the most efficient feed conversion ratio (FCR) without compromising egg production or egg weight compared with the control group. In contrast, FW30 reduced feed intake, egg production, and egg weight, although it lowered egg production cost (1.96 Thai Baht (THB)/egg). Moderate food waste inclusion (≤20%) maintained egg quality parameters, including egg size, yolk color, and Haugh unit, whereas higher inclusion levels negatively affected yolk pigmentation and albumen quality. Intestinal morphology of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum was not significantly altered by food waste inclusion up to 30%. Overall, moderate inclusion of food waste is a viable and sustainable feed strategy for laying hens without adverse effects on productivity, egg quality, or intestinal integrity.