Effect of source and concentration of dietary selenium on laying performance of egg-type breeders and antioxidant status of their offspring under delayed post- hatch feeding

Abstract

Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary organic or inorganic selenium (Se) supplementation on laying and hatching performance, egg Se content and liver glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) concentration of egg-type breeders as well as their offspring antioxidant status under 36Â h post-hatch feed withdrawal. Two hundred and seventy white egg-type breeders were used. The hens were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments. The basal diet contained no supplemental Se (Control). The four treatment groups consisted of two selenium sources (inorganic and organic, Se inorg and Se org, respectively) and two selenium levels (0.20 and 0.35Â mg Se/kg diet). The total analysed Se concentration in the diets was between 0.137 and 0.138Â mg/kg for Control, while it was 0.342 and 0.340Â mg/kg for 0.20 Se inorg, 0.339 and 0.351Â mg/kg for 0.20 Se org, 0.485 and 0.489Â mg/kg for 0.35 Se inorg, 0.481 and 0.495Â mg/kg for 0.35 Se org from 21 to 40 and 41 to 49 weeks, respectively. There was no effect of diets on laying performance, egg quality, and hatchability. Dietary Se supplementation increased egg Se content compared to Control, being higher in eggs from hens fed Se org than those from hens fed Se inorg. Liver GSH-Px activity of hens fed 0.35Â mg Se/kg was higher than in hens fed 0.20Â mg/kg Se. On d of hatch and 36Â h post-hatch, residual yolk sac Se content of chicks from hens fed 0.35Â mg Se/kg was higher than that of chicks from hens fed 0.20Â mg/kg Se. After 36Â h post-hatch feed withdrawal, plasma and liver GSH-Px activity of chicks from Se groups were higher than in chicks from the Control. It was concluded that dietary maternal Se would provide a protective mechanism for day-old chicks for coping with stressful situations exposed after hatching.