Effect of supplementation with organic and inorganic minerals on performance, egg and sperm quality, and hatching characteristics of laying breeder hens

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with organic microminerals on egg production, egg quality, sperm quality and egg hatching of laying breeder hens. A total of 144 Plymouth Rock White and 36 Rhode Island Red roosters were used. For each treatment, birds were assigned to eight replicates with six hens and 12 replicates with one rooster. Birds were fed a basal diet (BD) containing only inorganic trace minerals (10 mg of Cu, 60 mg of Fe, 70 mg of Mn, 75 mg of Zn and 0.3 mg of Se per kg of diet), or a BD + 500 g/ton of organic micromineral product (OMM) (2.5 mg of Cu, 17.5 mg of Fe, 20 mg of Mn, 27.5 mg of Zn and 0.080 mg of Se per kg of diet) and BD +800 g/ton of OMM (4 mg of Cu, 28 mg of Fe, 32 mg of Mn, 44 mg of Zn and 0.128 mg of Se per kg of feed). At weeks 43, 44, 45 and 49, egg production was higher with OMM BD +800 g treatment than with BD. Egg quality was not affected by diet. Sperm viability was higher among roosters fed BD +800 g OMM than among those fed BD. Fertility was higher for eggs from hens fed OMM BD +500g compared to BD. In conclusion, the addition of organic minerals in the diet resulted in greater egg production, and rooster sperm viability and egg fertility were higher on the OMM feed.

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