Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Different Level of Zinc on Sperm Egg Penetration and Fertility Traits of Broiler Breeder Chicken

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of zinc as feed additive (0, 50, 75,100 mg/kg diet) on fertility traits and sperm egg penetration of Cobb 500 broiler breeders. A total 132 of (96 females and 36 males) of Cobb 500 broiler breeder chicken, 45 weeks old were used in this study. These birds were randomly distributed equally into four dietary treatments with three replicates each. Each treatment group constituted of 32 females and 12 males. Treatment groups were as following: T1: Birds fed the basal diet without any addition (0 Zn) (control), T2: Birds fed diet supplemented with 50 mg Zn (pure zinc)/kg of diet, T3: Birds fed diet supplemented with 75 mg Zn (pure zinc)/kg of diet and T4: Birds fed diet supplemented with 100 mg Zn (pure zinc)/kg of diet. Hens were artificially inseminated with semen from the same treatments during 51, 54, 57, 60, 63 and 66 weeks of bird ages. Fertility traits involved in this study were percentages of fertility, hatchability of total eggs, hatchability of fertile egg, embryonic mortality. However, sperm egg penetration during 54, 58, 62 and 66 weeks of bird age's. Results revealed that adding zinc to birds diet results in significant (p<0.05) increase regarding fertility, hatchability of total eggs, hatchability of fertile eggs and sperm egg penetration and significant (p<0.05) decrease as regards embryonic mortality. In conclusion supplementing the diet of bird with zinc resulted in significant improvement in fertility traits and sperm egg penetration. Therefore adding zinc to the diet of birds could be used as an efficient tool for improves reproductive performance of chicken.