Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Regulation, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2019 Dec;192(2):308-318. doi: 10.1007/s12011-019-1659-0. Epub 2019 Feb 14.
Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace mineral in breeder hen diets and functions in diverse physiological processes, including reproduction, immunity, antioxidant ability, and epigenetic processes. In this paper, five main aspects of Zn nutrition in poultry breeder birds and hens, including semen quality, molting, egg production and egg quality, hatchability and embryonic development, and offspring performance, are reviewed. Zn deficiency in poultry breeder birds led to lower semen quality (reducing around 10% sperm motility) and egg production (lowering 3-10 g/day/bird egg mass) as well as poor offspring development and growth performance (increasing 9-10% weak chick ratio and 10% mortality of progeny). Adequate maternal or higher Zn supplementation was adopted not only to induce molting with a greater postmolt performance (rising 4-7% laying rate) but also to enhance progeny immune response and antioxidant ability via epigenetic mechanisms. Therefore, it is necessary to reevaluate the optimal Zn requirement for egg production as well as the embryonic development and offspring chick performance of breeder hens. In the last 10 years, greater attention has been focused on the effectiveness of organic Zn for improving the reproductive performance of breeders and progeny viability and immune status. In fact, organic Zn sources are not always beneficial to the above aspects. So far, it has been very important to know the exact mechanisms of greater bioavailability and the epigenetic role of organic Zn sources in the augmentation of immune status and antioxidant abilities in poultry breeder birds and offspring. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of these key points will not only aid in maintaining the beneficial effects of Zn nutrition for breeders and their progeny under stable conditions but will also support birds under stressful conditions such as disease as well as provide a better understanding of the integrated nutrition of breeder-offspring.
锌（Zn）是种鸡日粮中的必需微量元素，在多种生理过程中发挥作用，包括繁殖、免疫、抗氧化能力和表观遗传过程。本文综述了家禽种鸡和母鸡中锌营养的五个主要方面，包括精液质量、换羽、产蛋和蛋品质、孵化率和胚胎发育以及后代性能。家禽种鸡缺锌会导致精液质量下降（精子活力降低约 10%）和产蛋量下降（每只鸡每天减少 3-10 克蛋重），以及后代发育和生长性能不佳（弱雏比例增加 9-10%，后代死亡率增加 10%）。适当或更高水平的母体或更高水平的锌补充不仅可以诱导换羽，提高换羽后的产蛋性能（产蛋率提高 4-7%），还可以通过表观遗传机制增强后代的免疫反应和抗氧化能力。因此，有必要重新评估种鸡产蛋、胚胎发育和后代雏鸡性能的最佳锌需求。在过去的 10 年中，人们越来越关注有机锌对提高种鸡繁殖性能和后代活力及免疫状态的有效性。事实上，有机锌源并不总是对上述方面有益。到目前为止，了解有机锌源更高生物利用度的确切机制以及其在增强家禽种鸡和后代免疫状态和抗氧化能力方面的表观遗传作用非常重要。因此，全面分析这些关键点不仅有助于在稳定条件下维持种鸡及其后代的锌营养的有益作用，还有助于支持鸟类在疾病等应激条件下，以及更好地理解种鸡-后代的综合营养。
