Effect of Different Levels of Nano-selenium on Performance, Blood Parameters, Immunity and Carcass Characteristics of BroilerChickens

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that nano- seleniuminclusion in broilers’ diets can improve productivity and metabolic functions of broilers.Feed and water were provided ad libitum. A total of 180 one-day old male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to six groups based on a completely randomized design, each with three replicates of 10 birds. One of the groups served as the control (CON) and was given a basal diet without further dietary supplementation, whereas the other five groups were offered the same starterandgrower diets further supplemented with dietary nano-selenium (NS) at 0.1 mg/kg of feed (NS1), 0.2 mg/kg of feed (NS2), 0.3 mg/kg of feed (NS3), 0.4 mg/kg of feed (NS4), and 0.5 mg/kg of feed (NS5). Nano-selenium dietary supplementation significantly improved weight gain and feed conversion ratio in starter (1st-21st day), grower (22nd-42nd day) and whole (1st-42nd) periods of experiment (P< 0.05). At the same time, energy and protein utilization was more efficient in NS supplemented groups than the control (P < 0.05). Breast and drumsticks percentages had higher values in the NS supplemented birds than the control (P < 0.05), while abdominal fat percentage had lower values in the NS supplemented birds than the control (P < 0.05).Significant differences in relative weight of testes were observed between treatments (P< 0.05). Glucose and total protein concentrations in blood plasma were not significantly different among the experimental groups (P > 0.05). While, albumin levels in blood were decreased and anti-Newcastle disease hemagglutination-inhibition titer was increased after the dietary supplementation with the nano-selenium (P< 0.05). As conclusion, the current study demonstrated that the supplementation of nano-selenium in broiler diets could improve growth performance, carcass components and immune function, without negative effects on internal organs, and other carcass parameters and gastrointestinal parts.

Effect of Different Levels of Nano-selenium on Performance, Blood Parameters, Immunity and Carcass Characteristics of BroilerChickens Keywords:

Immunity , hematology , Broiler chicken , Nano-selenium