Effect of dietary canthaxanthin and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation on the performance of duck breeders under two different vitamin regimens.

Zhouzheng Ren,Shiping Bai,Fernando Cisneros,Yue Xuan,Zhuowei Su,Qiufeng Zeng,Bing Yao,Keying Zhang,Shizhen Jiang,Yuheng Luo,Jianping Wang,Xuemei Ding

doi:10.1186/s40104-016-0062-3

Zhouzheng Ren, Shiping Bai + Show 10 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-016-0062-3

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Abstract

BackgroundDietary canthaxanthin (CX), 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) and vitamins have been widely reported to be involved in productive and reproductive performance of broiler breeders. However, limited information is available for duck breeders. In this study, a total of 1,560 Cherry Valley SM3 duck breeder females and 312 males were used to assess if the addition of CX and 25-OH-D3 could increase the performance of duck breeders under two different dietary vitamin regimens. Four diets were used under a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 kinds of vitamin premixes (REGULAR and HIGH; HIGH premix had higher levels of all vitamins except K3 than REGULAR premix), and with or without the supplementation of the mixture of CX (6 mg/kg) and 25-OH-D3 (0.069 mg/kg). The ducks were fed ad libitum with pelleted diets based on corn-soybean meal from 38 to 77 wk of age.ResultsHIGH vitamin premix decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level (P < 0.001) of egg yolk, increased hatchability of fertile eggs (P = 0.029), increased hatchability of total eggs (P = 0.029), and decreased serum protein carbonyl level (P = 0.037) of breeder males. The mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 increased serum calcium of breeder females (P = 0.010), decreased the cracked egg rate (P = 0.001), increased the pigmentation of egg yolk (P < 0.001) and male bill (P < 0.001), and decreased MDA level of egg yolk (P < 0.001) and male serum (P = 0.034). Interactive effects were observed in cracked egg rate (P = 0.038), shell thickness (P = 0.011) and serum phosphorus (P = 0.026) of breeder females. HIGH vitamin premix together with the mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 decreased cracked egg rate and increased shell thickness of duck breeders. Serum phosphorus was decreased in duck breeder females fed REGULAR vitamin premix without the addition of the CX and 25-OH-D3 mixture.ConclusionsDietary HIGH vitamin premix increased antioxidant status of eggs and breeder males, and increased hatchability. The mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 enhanced egg shell quality, and promoted pigmentation and antioxidant status of eggs and breeder males.

Highlights

Dietary canthaxanthin (CX), 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) and vitamins have been widely reported to be involved in productive and reproductive performance of broiler breeders
The vitamin requirements for White Pekin duck breeders were given by National Research Council (NRC) (1994) [1], the recommendations for most vitamins were estimated based on values obtained from other ages or species, and have often been criticized to bear little relationship with the levels currently used in the industry
The REGULAR level premix was formulated to simulate a commercial premix used in the duck industry in China. 2DSM (China); and the HIGH premix was designed according to the recommendations in SM3 Commercial Duck Management Manual [16] which is in good match with the DSM Vitamin Supplementation Guidelines recommended by DSM Nutritional Products Ltd. [17, 18]

Summary

Introduction

Dietary canthaxanthin (CX), 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) and vitamins have been widely reported to be involved in productive and reproductive performance of broiler breeders. The vitamin requirements for White Pekin duck breeders were given by NRC (1994) [1], the recommendations for most vitamins were estimated based on values obtained from other ages or species, and have often been criticized to bear little relationship with the levels currently used in the industry. The duck breeders’ vitamin supplementation is always based on recommendations for broiler breeders, and some of the vitamins are formulated into premix without considering the interaction between vitamins [2, 3]. Unbalanced composition of the premix decreases the utilization efficiency of vitamins and does not show an accurate picture of the productive and reproductive potential of duck breeders [4, 5]. A rational use of dietary vitamin premix might be beneficial for poultry producers

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