Single and Combined Impacts of Vitamin A and Selenium in Diet on Productive Performance, Egg Quality, and Some Blood Parameters of Laying Hens During Hot Season

Abstract

A study was conducted using 162 Bovans laying hens to investigate the impacts of extra dietary vitamin A (0, 8000, 16,000 IU/kg), selenium (0, 0.25, 0.50 mg/kg), and their combinations on the performance, egg quality, and blood biological parameters of laying hens during summer months. Supplemental vitamin A up to 16,000 IU/kg diet significantly (P < 0.05) improved all productive traits studied except feed intake which increased with 8000 IU/kg diet compared with control. Feed intake and feed conversion of hens fed diet supplemented with selenium revealed high statistical (P = 0.001) differences. All egg quality criteria were not significantly (P < 0.05) affected by dietary vitamin A except albumin percentage and Haugh units, since Haugh unit score was gradually increased with increasing vitamin A level. Vitamin A-enriched groups showed significant (P < 0.05 and 0.01) decreases in plasma albumen, total lipids, and total cholesterol in respect to the unsupplemented groups. Compared with unsupplemented groups, total protein, albumin, total lipid, and total cholesterol were increased in selenium-enriched groups. There were no significant impacts of selenium treatments in layer diets on thyroid hormones and liver enzymes studied except alanine transferase (ALT) and thyroxin (T₄), as compared with the control group. Hematological parameters were not affected by vitamin A treatment except PCV% which decreased with vitamin A supplementation. Hemoglobin and lymphocytes were increased with increasing dietary selenium level. In conclusion, the combined supplementary concentrations of vitamin A (16,000 IU/kg) and selenium (0.25 mg/kg) might be needed for better production and health of laying hens reared under heat stress conditions.

Keywords: Blood; Egg quality; Laying hens; Performance; Selenium; Vitamin A.