PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND EGG QUALITY TRAITS OF LAYING HENS FED ON DIETS TREATED WITH NANO-SELENIUM UNDER HOT DESERT CONDITIONS

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to study the productive performance of laying hens fed on diets treated with Nano-Selenium at various levels under hot desert conditions. One hundred and fifty 21-weeks-old purpose breeding hens of ISA White strain were distributed randomly into five treatments groups of 30 females. Each group was divided into 3 replicate (10 hens of each) the 1st group was fed a basal diet without additives (control). The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th groups were fed the same basal diet supplemented with 0.1, 0.2 and 0.30 mg Nano-Se/kg diet. The 5th group was fed the same basal diet supplemented with 0.3 mg organic-Se/ kg diet (selenomethionine), respectively. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum throughout the experimental period (21–34 weeks of age). Artificial light was used beside the normal day light to provide 16 hour/ day photo period. The results showed that egg number, egg weight, egg mass, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly (P≤0.05) improved by nano-se supplementation compared with hens fed the control diet. The best improvement in feed conversion noticed with birds which received 0.3 mg/ kg diet nano-se. Body weight did not induce any significant differences among treatments. Showed the shell thickness, Egg width, Y Width, and YH had significantly increased (P≤0.05) by supplementation of source Se compared the control. On the other hand, shell weight and shell % insignificantly differences in the hen's supplementation of source se compared the control. Also, albumen weight, albumen height, and yolk weight, egg index and egg weight were insignificantly differences in the hens as compared to the control. In conclusion, under hot desert conditions, hens fed nano-selenium at a level of 0.2 mg nano-se/ kg diet might alleviate the drastic effect of heat stress and it's positively reflected on productive performance, and egg quality, economical efficiency and relative economical efficiency.