Compounds such as pigments, antioxidants, and pro-vitamins A are found in carrots and beetroots and could increase the nutritional value of eggs when added to diets for laying hens. This research evaluated retinol concentrations and egg yolk colour with addition of freeze-dried carrot (Daucus carota L.) and beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) meal in the diets of 240 Hisex Brown laying hens. The hens were distributed in a completely randomized design in five groups according to five experimental diets: (1) maize and soybean meal; (2) sorghum and soybean meal; (3) sorghum and soybean meal plus 0.8% of freeze-dried carrot meal; (4) sorghum and soybean meal plus 0.8% of freeze-dried beetroot meal; (5) sorghum and soybean meal plus 0.4% of freeze-dried carrot meal and 0.4% freeze-dried beetroot meal. The diet containing maize and soybean meal resulted in a more intense egg yolk colour and higher retinol levels in comparison to other diets (P < 0.05). However, carrot meal increased egg yolk colour and beetroot meal increased egg yolk retinol concentration in comparison to sorghum and soybean meal diets (P < 0.05). The inclusion of 0.8% of the carrot and beetroot meal in the diet is not enough to reach the intensity of yolk colour and yolk retinol concentration obtained through the diet containing maize, however, it increases retinol level and yolk colour in comparison to the diet containing sorghum without carrot and beetroot meal.

Polioencephalomalacia (PEM) is a nervous disease with neuronal necrosis. He previously believed that this condition was related to thiamine deficiency, but studies suggest that it can be determined by different nutritional and dietary factors. In this context, objectified to perform a literature review on the main causes of polioencephalomalacia caused by nutritional and dietary factors as well as the appropriate treatment and prevention in ruminants. Therefore, PEM disease can be caused by the classic thiamine deficiency, lead poisoning, sulfur and salt associated with drinking water deprivation. To prevent PEM, avoid contaminated material in pastures (avoid lead and sulfur), invasive plants (avoid thiaminases) and nutritional management of dietary thiamine concentrations and sulfur levels in water and diet. For treatment it is recommended to identify the source that causes the disease, deprivation of contaminated material and use of food management techniques, drugs needed to restore the metabolic parameters.

The main objective of this research is to evaluate the inclusion of different natural pigment solutions in diets formulated with maize and sorghum solutions on the growth performance and egg quality of commercial laying hens created in hot climates. Throughout the conduction of this experiment, were used 252 laying hens of the Hisex Brow, in a completely randomized design, with six treatments, seven repetitions, and six birds per plot. The experimental diets were assigned with different energy sources and adding pigmentation solutions, diet 1 (corn), diet 2 (corn + annatto), diet 3 (corn + carrot), diet 4 (sorghum), diet 5 (sorghum + annatto), diet 6 (sorghum + Carrot).  Afterward, being evaluated the performance and quality of eggs. It was observed significant difference with reference t egg production, egg weight (g), gem weight (g), the weight of shell (g), albumin in weight (g), and gem coloration (tons) among the treatments. There was no difference in the parameters of performance and quality of eggs evaluated, only the variable yolk color had a significant effect between treatments. Replacing the energy source of the corn diet with sorghum in the diet of laying hens at peak production provides similar performance and egg quality, which can be a substitute for quality and efficiency. The use of annatto and carrots as a natural pigmentation promotes greater pigmentation of the egg yolks of laying Hisex Brown eggs and does not impair the performance of the birds.