Response of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with selenium during hotdry summer

Abstract

In the process of understanding patho-physiology and developing packages for mitigation of heat stress during extreme summer (hot-dry) Selenium was tried individually in broiler pre-starter (0-14d), starter (14-21d) and finisher diets (21-42d of age) at four supplementary levels (0-control, 0.15, 0.3 and 0.45 mg/kg) during hot-dry (April-May, 29.0±0.700 to 36.0±1.400C, Rh,%: 61.0±1.3–70.1±0.82) conditions and the efficacy was judged through growth performance, carcass traits and feed-cost of production at 42nd day of age in broiler chickens. Therefore, total numbers of treatments were four. Each dietary treatment was fed to four replicated groups of 8 birds each. There was difference (P 0.05) due to dietary treatments during any growth phase. Supplementation of Se did not alter the yield of visceral organs and abdominal fat but supplemental Se increased (P<0.05) breast and eviscerated yields. Feed-cost per unit body weight gain or per kg meat yield did not differ statistically but numerically lower cost was incurred in Se supplemented groups than control.