Effect of broiler breeders fed with corn or sorghum diet and canthaxanthin supplementation on production and reproductive performance.

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of corn or sorghum diet and canthaxanthin (CX) supplementation on performance in broiler breeders. A total of 440 females with similar body weight (BW) (3.71 ± 0.14 kg) and 60 roosters were placed in an open-sided house with 20 pens, randomly distributed in a factorial arrangement (2 × 2). There were 4 diets of 2 ingredients; corn (CO) or sorghum (SO) and 2 levels of CX; 6 mg/kg (CX) and 0 mg/kg (NCX) totaling 5 replicate pens of 22 females and 3 males each, from 42 to 65 wk, divided in 2 periods (from wk 42 to 53 and wk 54 to 65). Birds' BW was measured every 28 d and mortality rate was calculated at the end of trial. Egg production (%), egg specific gravity (g/cm3), egg weight (g), yolk weight (%), albumen weight (%), eggshell weight (%) and yolk colorimetric score were measured weekly. Incubation parameters were recorded in 12 incubations to evaluate hatching eggs, hatching (%), hatchability (%), fertility (%), weight of the chicks born and their quality. The BW, mortality, percentage of yolk and albumen weight, fertility and some incubation parameters were not affected (P > 0.05) by diets used. An increase in the egg production, hatching eggs, chicks born and first quality chick by hen at the second period were observed in CX breeder's diets (P = 0.0066; P = 0.0060; P = 0.0368; P = 0.0326). Egg specific gravity and eggshell weight were improved at the first period by SO+CX diet (P = 0.0138; P = 0.0209) and the same effect to egg weight, but at the second period (P = 0.0251). The CX was well absorbed from the diet and effectively transferred to the egg yolk, thereby increasing egg yolk pigmentation in the both periods (P < 0.0001). The CX supplementation in broiler breeder diets improved the productive and reproductive performance (laying% and hatchable eggs) at the second period, also to the both periods improved the egg yolk pigmentation.

Effect of broiler breeders fed with corn or sorghum and canthaxanthin on lipid peroxidation, fatty acid profile of hatching eggs, and offspring performance.

The aim of study was to evaluate the effect on broiler breeders fed with corn or sorghum diets and canthaxanthin on lipid peroxidation, fatty acid, and offspring's performance. A total of 440 females with similar body weight (BW) (3.77 ± 0.11 kg) and 60 roosters were placed in an open-sided house with 20 pens, randomly distributed in a factorial arrangement (2 × 2). There were 4 diets of 2 ingredients; corn (CO) or sorghum (SO) and 2 levels of canthaxanthin; 6 mg/kg (CX) and 0 mg/kg (NCX) totaling five replicate pens of 22 females and 3 males each, from 45 to 65 wk old. The BW was measured every 28 days, carotenoid concentration, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), fatty acid profile (%) in egg yolks, and the performance from two incubations and their offspring were evaluated. The study had the same statistical design as broiler breeders, making a total of 4 groups with 10 replicate pens of 8 chicks each. The BW and mortality were not affected (P > 0.05) by diets. Egg yolks coming from the CO diet had the highest (P < 0.05) lutein (3.8 vs. 0.49 mg/kg) and zeaxanthin (4.25 vs. 0.22 mg/kg) concentration compared to SO diet. The SO+CX diet had the highest CX concentration (P < 0.0001). The SO+CX diet showed the lowest TBARS (P = 0.0002) in the egg yolk compared to the CO+CX diet. Egg yolks coming from breeders fed with CO showed a higher concentration of saturated fatty acids (23.36 vs. 21.44%) and monounsaturated fatty acids (27.17 vs. 24.96%). Egg yolks arising from broiler breeders fed with SO diets showed a higher concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared (15.29 vs. 12.88%). The CX reduced the offspring CO diets mortality and improved their viability at 64 wk-old for the broiler breeders (P < 0.05). CX was well absorbed from the diet and effectively transferred to the egg yolk, thereby increasing its concentration in the yolk. This conferred resistance to oxidative stress to the yolk and also later to the developing embryo and its ultimate performance.