Effect of organic selenium and zinc on the performance and egg quality of Japanese quails

Abstract

The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of the dietary inclusion of organic trace minerals selenium and zinc on the performance and internal and external egg quality of Japanese quails submitted to heat stress. Data on egg production, feed conversion (kg feed intake/ kg eggs and dozen eggs), egg weight, egg specific gravity, eggshell thickness and weight, Haugh unit, yolk index, albumen index and mortality (%) of 144 quails were evaluated for 112 days, divided in eight cycles of 14 days. Birds were distributed according to a randomized block experimental design into four treatments (control; 0.3ppm Se; 60ppm Zn and 0.3ppm Se + 60ppm Zn) with six replicates each. There were no differences (p > 0.05) in egg production (%), egg mass (g/hen/ day), feed conversion per egg mass (kg/kg), feed conversion per dozen eggs (kg/dz), average egg weight (g), egg specific gravity, eggshell thickness and weight (g), Haugh unit, yolk index, albumen index and mortality (%). However, quails fed the combination of Se and Zn presented higher (p < 0.05) feed intake (28.73 g/hen/day). Those fed only organic selenium had higher average daily egg production (30.17 eggs/day), and those fed the diet only supplemented with zinc presented higher mortality (p < 0.05). The results of the present study suggest that the supplementation of organic trace minerals in Japanese quails diets submitted to heat stress does not significantly influence quail performance and internal egg quality, whereas the supplementation of the combination of organic Zn and Se increases feed intake.

Impact of selenium supplementation on productive performance and egg selenium status in native Aseel chicken

“…Selenium, which is considered an essential dietary micro-mineral for poultry, is reported to have negative or positive impacts on production performance. Like a study on dual purpose breeding hens (Attia et al 2010) as well as on quail breeders (Cruz and Fernandez 2011) revealed the increase in feed intake due to the addition of Se-Y. The results of the present study are in line with some other researchers who demonstrated the higher daily feed intake in the birds fed organic selenium supplemented diets compared to inorganic and control (Papazyan et al 2006).…”

“…Se-Y supplemented ration. The better egg production was reported in layers due to the supplementation of Se-Y against inorganic selenium (Sara et al 2008;Hanafy et al 2009) and also in quail breeders (Cruz & Fernandez 2011). did not notice differences on percentage hen-day production of hens fed by sources or the level of selenium.…”

“…Arpasova et al (2012) reported the in-line results that Se-Y supplementation improves FCR/dozen egg. Improved FCR/ dozen by the supplementation of organic selenium in the diet may be due to its more bioavailability (Cruz & Fernandez 2011), which might have ameliorated digestion and metabolism resulting in efficient utilisation of ration into better FCR/dozen than Sod-Sel or without selenium. The better FCR/kg egg mass was improved in the pullets fed SY compared to Sod-Sel FCR/kg egg mass and no Se supplemental group FCR/kg egg mass.…”

“…Overall interactions also yielded the significant variations regarding the FCR with the best result in Peshawari variety FCR/ kg egg mass fed Se-Y supplemented ration The addition of Se-Y in the diets of laying hens significantly improves the FCR/kg egg mass (Ganpule & Manjunatha 2003;Arpasova et al 2009). Different studies have also revealed that organic selenium, which is more bio-available (Cruz & Fernandez 2011), is actively absorbed in the intestine than passive absorption of inorganic selenium (Surai 2002) and further increases productive (Leeson et al 2008) and reproductive performance of poultry (Sluis 2007;Hanafy et al 2009;Attia et al 2010). Advantages of organic selenium for commercial laying hens are connected to better shell quality and maintenance of egg freshness during storage (Papazyan et al 2006).…”

Exploring the effect of selenium forms on final body weight, slaughtercharacteristics and tissue selenium concentration in Aseel cockerels

“…The utilization of appropriate antioxidants helps the biological system by scavenging the reactive oxygen and hence increases the activity of antioxidant defense system (Nunes et al, 2005). Selenium exists in organic and inorganic forms but organic selenium is more bioavailable than inorganic form (Cruz and Fernandez, 2011). Rajashree et al (2014) demonstrated that higher carcass yield and better meat quality through enhanced selenium retention results in organic selenium fed broilers.…”