Poultry Science Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Santa Maria, 97105-000 Brazil.
Poult Sci. 2012 Mar;91(3):660-6. doi: 10.3382/ps.2011-01582.
The effects of supplementing canthaxanthin on productive and reproductive aspects of broiler breeders were examined in this study. In total, 360 female pullets and 36 roosters were placed in an open-sided house with 12 pens, each pen with an area of 7.0 m(2) (3.5 × 2.0 m). At 42 wk of age, the breeder hens and roosters were distributed into 2 experimental groups with similar BW and uniformity. From 46 to 66 wk of age, one group received 6 mg/kg of canthaxanthin supplemented in the diet and the other group received the diet without the addition of canthaxanthin (control diet). Body weight was measured every 28 d, the laying rate was calculated weekly, and mortality was evaluated at the end of the study. Twenty-one weekly incubations were performed to evaluate fertility and incubation responses. To evaluate the antioxidant effect of canthaxanthin at different storage times and during the incubation process, eggs from each treatment were subject to thiobarbituric reactive substances analysis. Body weight, mortality, and laying rate were not affected by the inclusion of canthaxanthin in the breeder's diets. An increase in hatchability of total and fertile eggs (P ≤ 0.0001 and P ≤ 0.0003, respectively) in breeders fed canthaxanthin during the experimental period was observed. Canthaxanthin also improved breeder fertility and reduced embryo mortality. This can be attributed to reductions in embryo mortality in the first 48 h of incubation and in the last wk of incubation. No differences were observed in BW and quality of the chicks. A reduction of thiobarbituric reactive substances was observed in yolks from stored hatching eggs produced by breeders fed diets plus canthaxanthin. The same effect was observed in yolks of eggs stored for 4 d and incubated for 7 d. The supplementation of broiler breeder diets with canthaxanthin improved the hatchability rate, fertility, and reduced the presence of thiobarbituric reactive substances in eggs.
本研究旨在探讨饲粮中添加角黄素对肉种鸡生产性能和繁殖性能的影响。试验选用 360 只 42 周龄罗曼粉商品代蛋鸡和 36 只公鸡，饲养于开放式鸡舍内，每间鸡舍设 12 个围栏，每个围栏面积为 7.0 m2（3.5 m×2.0 m）。42 周龄时，将种母鸡和公鸡按体重和均匀度相近原则分为 2 个试验组，从 46 周龄至 66 周龄，试验组 1 饲粮中添加 6 mg/kg 角黄素，试验组 2 饲粮不添加角黄素（对照组）。每 28 d 称重 1 次，每周统计产蛋率，试验结束时统计死亡率。每周进行 21 次孵化试验以评估种蛋的受精率和孵化性能。为评估角黄素在不同储存时间和孵化过程中的抗氧化效果，分别对各处理组的鸡蛋进行硫代巴比妥酸反应物分析。饲粮中添加角黄素对种鸡体重、死亡率和产蛋率均无影响。在整个试验期饲粮中添加角黄素可提高种鸡的总受精率和种蛋受精率（P≤0.0001 和 P≤0.0003）。角黄素还提高了种鸡的繁殖性能，降低了胚胎死亡率。这可能归因于孵化第 1 天至第 48 小时和孵化第 6 天至第 21 天胚胎死亡率的降低。种鸡体重和雏鸡质量无差异。饲粮中添加角黄素降低了种蛋储存期间和孵化第 7 天蛋黄中硫代巴比妥酸反应物的含量。这一效果在储存 4 d 和孵化 7 d 的种蛋中均观察到。在肉种鸡饲粮中添加角黄素可提高种鸡的孵化率、受精率，降低蛋黄中硫代巴比妥酸反应物的含量。
