The effect of the chelated form of trace elements in diet on weight gain, production traits, egg specific gravity, immune system, blood parameters, liver enzymes, and progesterone hormone in Ross 308 broiler breeder chickens

Abstract

This experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effect of the chelated form of trace elements in diet on the production traits, immunity, and blood parameters of Ross 308 broiler breeder chickens. Treatments included Treatment 1 (Negative control): Mn, Se, Cu, Fe and Zn provided as non-chelated form; Treatment 2 (Positive control): Mn, Se, Cu, Fe and Zn provided as chelated form; Treatment 3: Mn, Se, Cu, Fe and Zn provided as 50% chelated form and 50% non-chelated form; Treatment 4: Zn provided as chelated form; Treatment 5: Cu provided as chelated form; Treatment 6: Fe provided as chelated form; Treatment 7: Mn provided as chelated form; Treatment 8: Se provided as chelated form. The results showed that over the entire production period egg production and egg mass were affected by the experimental treatments (p < 0.05) and that the highest levels were observed in treatments 2 and 3. The chelated form of trace elements had a significant effect, increasing the number of settable eggs and decreasing the unsettable eggs over the entire production period (p < 0.05). Average egg weight over the entire period was not significantly changed (p > 0.05). The highest percentage of 2-yolk, thin shell, broken and small eggs was observed in 61st week of age significantly (p < 0.05). The experimental treatments had a significant effect on the immunity and the antibody titre against Newcastle disease showed a significant increase in treatments 2 and 8 (p < 0.05). The concentration of glucose, triglyceride, progesterone, AST and ALT were affected by the experimental treatments (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of a basic diet containing Zn, Fe, Cu, Se and Mn in the chelated form or the use of a basic diet containing mineral elements of Zn, Fe, Cu, Se and Mn with 50% non-chelated form and 50% in the chelated form improves the performance of production traits, immunity and blood parameters of Ross 308 broiler breeder chickens.

Highlights

• Chelated form of trace elements in the diet led to improvement in productive traits, immune response and blood parameters compared to the mineral form

• Basic diet containing mineral elements of Zn, Fe, Cu, Se, and Mn, 50% in the non-chelated form and 50% in the chelated form led to a significant improvement in egg production, egg mass, egg weight and egg specific gravity

• Chelated form of trace elements in the diet led to a decrease in the number of abnormal eggs including double-yolk, thin shell, broken, deformed, and small eggs

Keywords:

• Broiler breeder chickens
• chelate
• egg mass
• egg quality

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the research committee of the authors’ institutions (11750103971005; 13971218).

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Author contributions

FFM, AS and MB participated in preparing the manuscript equally, and all authors approved of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Raw data is available from corresponding author upon resonable request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript is prepared based on Ph.D. thesis of the first author at Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran. Financial support by Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, grant number 17.16.1.462 is gratefully acknowledged.