THE EFFECTS OF SODIUM SELENITE AND SELENIZED YEAST SUPPLEMENTATION INTO THE DIET ON LAYING HENS BODY WEIGHT

Abstract

In this experiment the effects of supplementation of the diet for laying hens with
sodium selenite (SS) or selenized yeast (SY) on body weight of laying hens was
studied. The chickens of Shaver Starcross 288 hybrid were randomly divided at the
day of hatching into 4 groups (n=12; in each). The birds were fed from Day 1 of life
to 9 months of age with diets differing in amounts and/or forms of selenium. Control
group received basal diet (BD) containing selenium naturally occurring in feeds
(0.1 mg Se/kg of dry matter (DM)). First and second experimental group of chickens
were fed with a same BD enriched with equivalent dose of Se 0.4 mg/kg DM in form
of sodium selenite or selenized yeast, respectively. The feed for third experimental
group of birds consisted of BD supplemented with selenized yeast to the final
amount of selenium 1.0 mg/kg DM. The supplementation of selenium into the diet
significantly influenced the laying hens body weight for a breeding period (P<0.05).
The highest body weight increase of birds was in the groups with the addition of Seyeast at a dose of 0.4mg/kg and 0.9mg/kg. Hen’s body weight (g±SD) for a breeding
period was in the order of groups: 1485.19a
±177.19; 1557.39b
±146.59;
1588.71b
±184.79; 1585.93b
±198.37. Higher average body weight of hens in all
experimental groups with the selenium addition was recorded in the rearing period.
However, the different was statistically non significant (P>0.05). The results showed
that the body weight may be positively influenced by supplementation of laying hens
with selenium, especially in the form of Se-yeast.