Effects of dietary copper on organ indexes, tissular Cu, Zn and Fe deposition and fur quality of growing-furring male mink (Mustela vison).
The objectives of this study were to study the effects of different levels of dietary copper on organ indexes, tissular Cu, Zn and Fe deposition and fur quality of mink in the growing-furring periods. One hundred and five standard dark male mink were randomly assigned to seven groups with the following dietary treatments: basal diet with no supplemental Cu (Control); basal diet supplemented with either 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 and 192 mg/kg Cu from copper sulphate, respectively. The colour intensity scores displayed a linear trend (P = 0.057). The spleen Cu concentrations responded in a linear (P < 0.05) fashion with increasing level of Cu, but copper supplementation did not affect speen concentrations of Fe or Zn. Supplemental dose of Cu linearly increased (P < 0.05) liver Cu and Fe concentrations but did not alter (P > 0.10) liver Zn. Our results indicate that Cu plays an important role in the pigmentation in growing-furring mink, and supplemental dietary Cu in growing-furring mink improve hair colour, and copper has limited effects on liver mineral deposition.
Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081 China.
Xuezhuang
X
Wu
Feed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081 China.
Xiuhua
X
Gao
State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, Institute of Economic Animal and Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, 130112 China.
Fuhe
F
Yang
Copper; Fur quality; Mink; Organ indexes