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

Abstract

A study to examine the impact of selenium forms on productive traits and egg selenium deposition in Aseel was conducted. A total of 96 selenium-treated 21-week-aged Aseel birds were used,84 females (1726.25 ± 121.65 g) and 12 males (1973.17 ± 182.84 g) from Lakha,Mushki,Peshaweri and Mianwali varieties. Birds were distributed into four experimental groups (21 females and 3 males/variety),further subdivided into three treatment groups A,B and C with 8 birds each,7 females and 1 male (4 varieties x 3 Se treatments x 8 birds/treatment). Group A and B were the experimental while,C was a control group. Ration for the birds of group A included 0.3 ppm Se-enriched yeast,group B with 0.3 ppm sodium selenite,while,group C received a basal ration containing no selenium. Experimental birds were maintained separately in battery cages from 22 to 42 weeks. The pullets received Se-enriched yeast (organic source of selenium) supplemented ration gained the sexual maturity earlier (168.61 ± 0.64 d) and represented increased (p ≤.05) body weight (1973.56 ± 3.43 g); egg production (38.17 ± 1.27%); egg mass (112.52 ± 2.63 g); FCR/dozen eggs (3.26 ± 0.06); FCR/kg egg mass (6.77 ± 0.23) and the selenium contents in the whole egg (11.70 ± 0.01 µg),in egg yolk (8.31 ± 0.01 µg) and in egg albumen (3.33 ± 0.01 µg). It is concluded that Se-enriched yeast is more potent than sodium selenite and is a key supplement used to improve production performance and egg-selenium status of Aseel.