P-177 (ID 342)
EFFECT OF SELENIUM SOURCE ON EGG PRODUCTION AND EGG QUALITY OF BROILER BREEDERS
H.R.Kutlu1, L.Çelik1, N. Saber1, F. Yenilmez2, H.Cinli1, N. Toy1, F. Çakıroğlu1,M. Kutlu1, O. Yücelt1
1 Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Çukurova, Turkey
2 Vacational School of Tufanbeyli, University of Çukurova, Turkey
Abstract
The present study was conducted to evaluate two different sources (Se-hydoxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid; HMSeBA vs. selenium yeast) of organic selenium in female broiler breeders in terms of egg production, fertility, egg quality, hatchability and chick growth performance. Two hundred and twenty, 54 weeks old Ross-308 male (20) and female (200) breeders were used in the experiment. Standard breeder (female) diet based on corn and soya were used. Birds were placed in a complete randomized design with 2 dietary treatments (HMSeBA vs. Selenium yeast) and 10 replications of 10 females and 1 males per pen sized 2x1.5m. Each pen had five nests with a female tubular feeder and one individual male feeder, and nipple drinkers. The experiment occurred while the broiler breeders were from 54 to 62 weeks of age and the lighting and feeds were supplied according to the Breeders’ recommendations. Eggs were col-lected everyday and measured for exterior and interior quality measurements once a week. Throughout the experiment, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, egg production, egg yield, hen-day egg production were recorded. The data obtained in the study were analysed statistically by t-test.
The results showed that birds attained almost 240 grams of weigh in both groups without any significant dif-ference (P>0.05). Feeding the birds according to the breeder’s recommendation maintained animal performance as breeders’ target in terms of body weight, fertility and also hatchability and hatching yield. The results showed that pro-viding selenium in the form of HMSeBA or Se-yeast did not affect egg production significantly (P>0.05), but the group receiving HMSeBA gave numerically higher number of eggs and attained higher egg weigh and egg mass with better feed conversion rate. The results with respect to egg quality showed that at the last week of the trial eggs obtained from the group receiving HMSeBA exhibited better values in terms of egg shell strength (P<0.07), shell thickness (P<0.09), yolk height (P<0.06) and yolk width (P<0.01). The results obtained in the trial suggest that providing dietary organic selenium in the form of HMSeBA could be of value in improving egg quality of broiler breeder hens.
Keywords: Organic Selenium, Breeder, Egg, Fertility, Hatching, Broiler, Performance Introduction
It is well documented that selenium with the conjunction of vitamin E is the vital nutrient source to maintain health, growth and product quality in mammals and birds (1). Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient found in body fat depots, plasma lipoproteins, and cell membrane phospholipids, where it serves as an important antioxidant (2). Selenium (Se) fulfils an antioxidant role as a component of glutathione peroxidises (GSHPx). Se is widely distributed in the body, but the most labile reservoir is in the liver (2). It is found in body tissue principally as selenomethionine (SeMet) or as se-lenocysteine (SeCys), the latter found in GSHPx. Both nutrients are should be examine together because of their re-lated functions and similar deficiency signs. However, Se and vitamin E each have unique metabolic roles, and the factors that alter the oxidative state of an animal may differentially affect their dietary needs. It is now well known that Se plays an important role in maintaining semen quality (3). An optimal Se status in male birds is considered to be an important factor in ensuring the fertility of breeding stocks, while an optimal Se status of the eggs of females needs for antioxidant system to maintain embryo development and also hatchability (4).
In poultry nutrition, selenium requirements meet through trace mineral premixes. Recent literature showed that besides the rational source of supplemental selenium in mineral forms mainly sodium selenite in animal diets, organic selenium sources have also been developed through selenize yeast with Se in the form of selenomethionine and also 2-hydoxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid (HMSeBA) in recent years (5). Comparative studies showed that organic Se source provides some advantages with higher bioavailability and lower inclusion rate in the diet (5). However no com-parative studies have been undertaken to evaluate different sources of organic selenium in female broiler breeders in terms of laying performance and egg quality.
The present project was aimed to evaluate effect(s) of organic sources of Se-hydoxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid (HMSeBA of Adisseo; Selisseo) in contrast to the other organic selenium source as selenium yeast on laying per-formance and egg quality of broiler breeders.
Materials and Methods
The present study was carried out in the Broiler Breeder Unit of the Experimental Farm of the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Çukurova, Adana-Turkey. Two hundred and twenty, 54 weeks of age Ross-308 male (20) and female (200) breeders were used in the experiment lasted 9 weeks. Experimental animals were weighed at the first day and last day of the trial to assess weigh changes throughout the experiment, in which standard breeder (female) diet based on corn and soya was used.
Two hundred female Ross-308 and 20 Ross-308 male broiler breeders were placed in the unit at 52 weeks of age. After 2 weeks pre-feeding period they were allocated according to body weight and also egg production in a com-pletely randomized design into 2 treatment (0.2 ppm Se-Yeast or 0.2.ppm HMSeBA) groups with 10 replicate pens, 10 females and 1 males per pen sized 2.0 x 1.5 m in the breeder unit, where 20 subgroup pens were available for the trial. Extra 5 males were raised separately to replace sexually inactive or dead males.
Each pen of the breeder unit had five nests bedded wood shaving, sizeing 25x43x35 cm each, a female tubular feeder and one individual male feeder, and nipple drinkers. Animals were placed on wood shaving litter 7-8 cm height. The experiment lasted while the broiler breeders were from 54 to 62 weeks of age and the lighting and feeds (female: 156 gram/day, male: 130 gram/day) were supplied according to Ross Breeders recommendations (6) without drinking water restriction. The environmental temperature was maintained within the animal comfort zone using foggers and tunnel ventilation. Male performance was watched and the male with low mating performance was replaced with a spare one. Eggs were collected every day and measured for exterior quality (size, weigh, and crack incidents) meas-urements. Weekly egg production, hatching eggs, and eggs with defects were obtained through daily collections and were expressed in percentage. Defective eggs were considered those with physical deformities and those bearing cracks. Double yolk and floor eggs will be added up to total production, but were not incubated. In the experiment feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, egg production, egg yield, hen-day egg production, mortality rate were recorded. In the third week of the trial and thereafter (57-62th weeks of age) eggs obtained on the third day of every week analysed for interior quality (albumen, yolk measurements, Haugh Unit etc.) and also exterior quality measurements such as egg shape index, shell thickness, shell weigh, shell strength etc. The data obtained in the study were analysed using t-test procedure of SAS; the Statistical Analysis System (7). Result obtained in this study will be presented as means per bird with its standard error.
Results and Discussion
In order to observe body weigh changes of breeders throughout the experiment, at the beginning of the experi-ment when the birds 54th week of age, and at the end of the experiexperi-ment when the birds 62nd week of age, all the birds were weighed individually. The results with respect to body weight changes of the hen showed that birds attained al-most 240 grams of weigh in both groups without significant difference (Table 1). Throughout the experiment, the birds were given feed according to Breeder company recommendation. Foods were given to female birds 156 gram/day, male birds 130 gram/day. Feeding the birds according to the breeder’s recommendation keep animal performance as breeders’ target in terms of body weight, fertility and also hatchability and hatching yield. The results with respect to body weigh changes and feed intake are given in Table 1.
Table 1. Live weigh changes and feed intake of birds throughout the experiment.
Parameters HMSeBA (n=10) Se-Yeast (n=10) P=
Mean Std Error Mean Std Error
Live weigh at the first day of the trial (g/hen) 4696.7 27.25 4737.9 29.83 0.3213 Live weigh at the last day of the trial (g/hen) 4940.0 35.75 4976.2 36.02 0.4862
Weigh changes (g/hen) 243.3 39.84 238.33 22.28 0.9172
Feed Intake (g/hen/day) 156 156
After 2 weeks pre-feeding period from 52-53 weeks of age, animals were grouped according to body weight and also egg production. At 54 weeks of age and thereafter laying performance parameters were analysed weekly. The results with respect to laying performance at 56 and 62 (two weeks after and eight weeks after the initiation of the ex-periment) weeks of age are given in Table 2. The results showed that providing selenium in the form of HMSeBA or Se-yeast did not affect egg production significantly (P>0.05). However, mean production values at 62nd week of age seemed to be favour of HMSeBA groups (Table 2). Addtionally, the performance values obtained at 56-62 weeks of age in the present trial were higher than the values set by the Breeder Company (6).
Table 2. Egg Production of the breeders at the second week and last week of the trial
56th weeks of age 62nd weeks of age
Parameters HMSeBA (n=10) Se-Yeast
(n=10) P= HMSeBA (n=10) Se-Yeast (n=10) P=
Mean Stderr Mean Stderr Mean Stderr Mean Stderr
Egg production
(number/week) 4.78 0.34 4.65 0.25 0.293 4.13 0.22 3.86 0.20 0.368 Egg weight (g/day) 46.79 3.03 45.59 2.22 0.215 41.79 2.23 38.85 2.02 0.342 Egg weight (g/egg) 68.67 0.25 68.76 0.38 0.850 70.76 0.22 70.52 0.50 0.657 Egg mass (g/week) 327.6 23.47 319.37 17.22 0.215 292.54 15.38 271.95 14.17 0.342 Feed Conversion
Rate (g feed/g egg) 3.19 0.23 3.52 0.24 0.332 3.74 0.22 4.01 0.23 0.402 The results with respect to quality of eggs at the beginning (56th week of age) and at the last weeks (62nd week of age) of the experiment are given in Tables 3. The results showed at the beginning of the experiment all the quality measurements of the treatment groups were similar to each other. However at the last weeks of the trial eggs obtained from the group receiving HMSeBA exhibited better values in terms of egg shell strength (P<0.07), shell thick-ness (P<0.1), yolk height (P<0.06) and yolk width (P<0.01). The improvement in egg quality could be attributed to sele-nium and selenomethionine role in synthesis of egg shell matrix, mineralization and also its contribution to antioxidant capacity and membrane integrity.
Table 3. Quality measurements of eggs obtained at the beginning and end of the trial.
56th weeks of age 62nd weeks of age
Parameters HMSeBA (n=10) Se-Yeast (n=10) P= HMSeBA (n=10) Se-Yeast (n=10) P=
Mean Stderr Mean Stderr Mean Stderr Mean Stderr
Egg weight (g) 69.25 0.774 68.40 0.772 0.436 72.66 0.88 71.68 0.65 0.3688 Albumen weight (g) 40.09 0.532 39.68 0.624 0.615 41.35 0.79 40.79 0.57 0.5676 Yolk weight (g) 22.54 0.241 21.95 0.308 0.134 24.02 0.43 23.52 0.31 0.1363 Egg shell weight (g) 6.63 0.099 6.72 0.090 0.485 7.43 0.14 7.53 0.14 0.6279 Shell strength (kg/cm2) 3542 181.0 3564 155.1 0.858 3793 173.0 3599 152.86 0.0664 Egg width (mm) 45.54 0.18 45.72 0.332 0.992 45.54 0.17 46.06 0.16 0.3908 Egg length (mm) 59.93 0.36 60.07 0.399 0.676 60.17 0.49 61.26 0.36 0.4717 Egg Shape index (%) 76.08 0.50 76.23 0.61 0.779 75.85 0.61 75.28 0.53 0.8537 Yolk height (mm) 18.96 0.134 19.03 0.182 0.788 19.94 0.26 19.37 0.14 0.0521 Albumen height (mm) 5.89 0.221 5.91 0.189 0.159 6.42 0.29 5.63 0.21 0.1669 Yolk width (mm) 47.16 0.637 46.69 0.512 0.626 46.17 0.50 50.27 1.08 0.0012 Albumen width (mm) 86.59 2.942 85.24 2.013 0.706 88.40 3.62 87.17 1.81 0.7586 Albumen length (mm) 106.48 4.014 100.9 1.861 0.214 112.37 3.79 110.20 1.75 0.59780 324.72 3.703 333.1 4.316 0.142 358.47 5.65 339.78 5.11 0.0981 Haugh Unit 71.60 1.27 71.66 1.60 0.977 74.33 1.79 70.86 1.37 0.2123 It is well documented that selenium is an essential nutrient. Its role in metabolism is mainly related to the syn-thesis of Se-amino acid and Se-protein complexes that act as potent antioxidants. In addition to its antioxidant function, selenium has potential to affect egg quality. Wakebe (8) and Papas et al. (9) showed that Se addition to layer diets can
mitigate the reduction of Haugh units in stored eggs. Our results on increased shell strength are confirmed by previous studies (10), they reported that shell strength could be related to higher Se concentration in the shell and shell mem-brane. These two last factors are particularly increased when diet contains organic Se sources, suggesting that the high Se concentration could be the main factor for increased shell strength through its role in formation of organic matrix. It is well-known that eggshell membrane is mainly consisted of fibrous protein or collagen-like proteins (11), which derives organic matrix. It has been shown that fortifying poultry feeds with selenium, especially organic source, have a great potential to increase egg selenium contents (12). Our results suggest that selenium in the egg have a powerful agent with its antioxidant properties and also being a significant factor in synthesis of organic matrix of egg shell. It is also reported that the natural selenium-containing antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidise and thioredoxing reduc-tase have the potential to reduce the effect of free radicals on the aging process (13). Disulfide bonds (bonds between sulphur atoms) can cross-link proteins, decreasing enzyme function and increasing the sinew associated with aging collagen. Protein oxidation is known to be related to selenium deficiency (14). The present knowledge with respect to selenium and its protective effect on structural protein could be suggested that selenium is a key factor for the formation of organic matrix derived by shell membrane by maintaining integrity of fibrous protein or collagen-like proteins, leading to increase in shell strength.
Conclusion
The results with respect to body weight changes of the hen during the trial showed that birds attained almost 240 grams of weigh in both groups without a significant difference (P<0.5).
Providing selenium in the form of HMSeBA or Se-yeast did not affect egg production significantly (P>0.05). The performance values of breeders obtained from the both groups in the present study were higher than the val-ues set by Breeder Company; Ross.
The breeder receiving dietary HMSeBA exhibited better values in terms of egg shell strength (P<0.07), shell thick-ness (P<0.1), yolk height (P<0.06) and yolk width (P<0.01).
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