Seyede Atiye Mojaverian; Shahabodin Gharahveysi; Mohsen Hajipour
Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of organic and inorganic forms of copper, zinc, and manganese on broiler breeder hens' productive and reproductive performance of Ross 308 broiler breeders at 33 and 36 weeks.
Method: In this study, 240 hens and 30 roosters of Ross 308 strain ...
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Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of organic and inorganic forms of copper, zinc, and manganese on broiler breeder hens' productive and reproductive performance of Ross 308 broiler breeders at 33 and 36 weeks.
Method: In this study, 240 hens and 30 roosters of Ross 308 strain were used in 30 experimental pens. This research was carried out as a factorial experiment 2×3 with three types of minerals (copper, zinc, and manganese) and two forms (organic and inorganic) in a completely randomized design with six treatments, five replications, and 8 hens and one rooster in each replication. Weeks 29 to 32 were considered as the adaptation period. The experimental treatments included: 1) diet containing inorganic zinc, 2) diet containing organic zinc, 3) diet containing inorganic copper, 4) diet containing organic copper, 5) diet containing inorganic manganese, and 6) diet containing organic manganese. The required amount of elements in inorganic form was 16 mg/kg for copper (copper sulfate), 90 mg/kg for zinc (zinc sulfate) and 130 mg/kg for manganese (manganese sulfate) and the recommended amount of elements in organic form in the present study was 13.33 mg/kg for copper (copper-methionine), 48.65 mg/kg for zinc (zinc-methionine) and 73.86 mg/kg for manganese (manganese-methionine). The data obtained by LSmeans method were analyzed by SAS statistical software.
Results: The results indicated that the use of diets containing organic forms of elements had a significant effect on egg production traits, including egg production rate, egg mass, egg weight, hatchable eggs, fertility rate, hatchability, and the weight of hatched chicks (P< 0.05). Specifically, organic zinc enhanced the percentage of egg production, egg weight, and egg mass during weeks 33 and 36 of the study. However, inorganic zinc demonstrated a better effect on egg mass compared to inorganic manganese (P< 0.05). Furthermore, the effect of organic and inorganic copper, as well as inorganic zinc, on the percentage of egg production in these weeks was significantly greater than that of inorganic manganese (P< 0.05). Similarly, regarding egg weight, a significant positive effect was observed from the combination of organic copper and inorganic zinc, which performed better than inorganic copper and organic and inorganic manganese (P< 0.05). The results also revealed that the effect of organic zinc on the percentage of hatchable eggs was significantly greater than that of other organic and inorganic elements among the treatments in the weeks studied (P< 0.05). In addition, the findings regarding hatchability indicated that the effects of both organic and inorganic zinc surpassed those of other elements (P< 0.05). The influence of these elements on the fertility rate was also significant, with organic and inorganic zinc exhibiting a higher effect than other organic and inorganic elements (P< 0.05). Lastly, the impact of the studied elements on the weight of freshly hatched chicks demonstrated the superiority of organic zinc compared to other organic and inorganic elements.
Conclusions: In general, the effect of organic form of elements on the studied traits was greater than the inorganic form of elements, and the highest and lowest effect of the treatments on the studied traits were related to organic zinc and inorganic manganese, respectively. Based on the present results, the use of organic forms of elements (especially organic zinc) is recommended to improve the production and reproductive traits of broiler breeders.
Shahabodin Gharahveysi
Abstract
This research was conducted to study the effects of the milk thistle powder on growth performance, blood parameters and liver enzymes in the 360 male broiler chicks (Ross 308). The studied factors were milk thistle powder at 0, 0.3 and 3% levels and antibiotic Cotrimoxazole at 0 and 0.2% per kg diet, ...
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This research was conducted to study the effects of the milk thistle powder on growth performance, blood parameters and liver enzymes in the 360 male broiler chicks (Ross 308). The studied factors were milk thistle powder at 0, 0.3 and 3% levels and antibiotic Cotrimoxazole at 0 and 0.2% per kg diet, which was a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with 6 treatments and 3 replications. Growth performance traits, blood parameters and liver enzymes were measured at the end of the experimental period (42-day). The different levels of milk thistle powder caused a decrease in the mean of feed intake and body weight in the whole period (P <0.05). Consumption of milk thistle powder reduced cholesterol, triglyceride, Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzyme and Alanine aminotransferase (ALA) enzyme of blood serum levels up to 12.6%, 17.8%, 16%, and 59.7%, respectively (P <0.01). Based on the results of this experiment, the use of different levels of milk thistle powder has led to a decrease in the concentration of liver enzymes. Therefore, the use of milk thistle powder at a rate of 3% in the ration of broiler chickens protects their livers.