The effect of high levels of organic selenium on body weight, concentration of selenium in blood plasma and mortality of chickens

Abstract

It is examined the effects of high levels organic selenium (selenium yeast) on body weight, concentration Se in blood plasma and mortality of chickens. The experiment is carried with 100 Hybro chickens, which are divided in 5 groups. The experiment lasted 42 days. Chickens are fed with standardized diets in which are added 0, 2, 5, 10 or 15 mgSe/kg diet. Chickens fed with 2 mgSe/kg diet (group II) by seventh day to the end of fourth week are registered the important higher body weight in relate to I group (P<0,05*; P<0,01**). At the end fifth week chickens of II group had a little higher body weight than the chickens of first group, but at the end of sixth week their body weight were the same. The chickens of III group had (5 mgSe/kg feed) had until fifth week of experiment higher body mass in relate to chickens first group, but this differences were not statistical significant (P>0,05*). At the end of the experiment (sixth week) the their body weight was little lower then body mass chickens of first group. Chickens of IV and V group (10 and 15 mgSe/kg feed) had little higher increasing than chickens first group until fifth week of the experiment, but at the and of the experiment chickens IV group had lesser body weight, and chickens of V group bigger body mass then chickens of I group. The concentration of selenium in blood plasma of chickens fed with high levels of organic selenium (groups II, III, IV and V) was importantly higher (P<0,05*; P<0,01**) with all experimental periods in relate with I group. The concentration of selenium in blood plasma was increased with increasing of level of selenium in diet and time exposure. The highest level of selenium in blood plasma are established at the and of experiment (sixth week), with all experimental group. There were not effects on mortality of chickens fed of the high level organic selenium.