title: Vitamin E and selenium in broiler breeder diets: Effect on live performance, hatching process, and chick quality.
abstract: This study evaluated the effect of different dietary vitamin E levels and different selenium sources on the productive and reproductive performance of broiler breeders. In total 640 females and 64 males between 22 and 52 weeks old were studied. A completely randomized experimental design in factorial arrangement, with 4 treatments of 8 replicates with 20 females and 2 males each, was applied. Treatments consisted of 2 vitamin E levels (30 and 120 mg/kg) and two selenium sources (sodium selenite and zinc-L-selenomethionine). Egg production (rate of lay and eggs per breeder), egg characteristics (egg, yolk, eggshell, and albumen weights), fertility, incubation responses (egg weight loss during incubation, hatchability, and hatching window), and hatchling characteristics (weight and yield) were evaluated. There was no influence of dietary vitamin E levels or selenium sources on egg production (P > 0.05). Mature breeders (47 weeks old) fed zinc-L-selenomethionine and 120 mg vitamin E/kg feed produced heavier eggs and albumen. Hatchability of the eggs of breeders fed 120 mg vitamin E/kg feed was higher than breeders fed 30 mg vitamin at 29 wks. The dietary inclusion of organic selenium also promoted heavier hatchling weight until egg production peak (33 wk), but did not influence hatchling quality or hatching window. It was concluded that the dietary supplementation of zinc-L-selenomethione and vitamin E (120 mg/kg feed) could be used to improve egg characteristics and incubation response.
authors.affiliation: Brasil Foods - Rua Mauá 920, 12º andar, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 80030-200.
authors.forename: U R A
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Urso
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC 88034-000, Brazil fabiano.dahlke@ufsc.br.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dahlke
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 80035-050.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maiorka
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 80035-050.
authors.forename: I J M
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 80035-050.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 80035-050.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Surek
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil 80035-050.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012645:Selenomethionine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D012645:Selenomethionine; D018038:Sodium Selenite
keywords: antioxidant; broiler breeder; selenium; tocopherol