**4. Conclusions**

Lastly, this study helps to substantiate the utilization of whole unblanched high-oleic peanuts as a valued alternative feed ingredient for poultry to enhance the eggs produced with β-carotene and reduced saturated fatty acid content. Furthermore, this study also confirms the use of high-oleic peanuts with the skin intact as an energy- and protein-rich alternative feed ingredient for older production hens to prevent the production of oversized eggs, while naturally enhancing yolk pigments and carotenoid content.

**Author Contributions:** All authors actively contributed to the care and husbandry of all research animals, while co-authors O.T.T., R.M., and K.E.A. were active participants in the data analysis, data interpretation, and preparation of the manuscript. Co-authors T.C.V., and E.S. collected and tabulated all body weights, feed intake, egg weights and egg quality data. Co-author A.K.R. additionally assisted with formatting and editing the final manuscript for publication. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This work was funded by the Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit, the Agricultural Research Service, and the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** The procedures used in these studies were approved by the North Carolina State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC #17-001-A).

**Informed Consent Statement:** Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. The sensory protocol was reviewed and deemed exempt by the NC State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) for human subjects.

**Data Availability Statement:** The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors would like to acknowledge the students and staff of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science, NC State University Feed Mill, the Sensory Service Center in the Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences Department, NC State University, and to Birdsong Peanuts for the donation of high-oleic peanuts for this feeding trial.

**Conflicts of Interest:** There is absolutely no conflict of interest regarding this manuscript.
