Brito et al., 2023 - Selenium's Role in Enhancing Laying Hen Performance

Selenium's role in enhancing laying hen performance

In poultry production, oxidative stress poses a formidable challenge, significantly impeding the efficiency of laying hens. Selenium (Se) has been pointed out as a crucial mitigator of these detrimental effects. In a recent study, the efficacy of Se supplementation in poultry diets, derived from either an inorganic source such as sodium selenite (SS) or a hydroxy-selenomethionine (OH-SeMet) source, was rigorously evaluated. The subjects of this investigation were 50- to 70-week-old Dekalb Brown laying hens, a pivotal demographic in egg production. The study encompassed their performance and physiological characteristics under heat stressors and the quality of their eggs over varying storage durations.

OH-SeMet supplementation emerged as the clear frontrunner, outperforming SS in several key metrics. Laying hens receiving OH-SeMet exhibited a remarkable 5% improvement in feed conversion ratio and a substantial 3.6% increase in egg mass. The research also showed that prolonged egg storage had a detrimental impact on egg quality. This concern was effectively alleviated by including OH-SeMet in the hens' diets. Notably, OH-SeMet bolstered the birds' antioxidant capacity, as evidenced by elevated glutathione peroxidase levels in their blood, kidneys, liver, and intestinal mucosa. This was coupled with increased Se content in the eggs and enhanced bone strength, underscoring the multifaceted benefits of supplementing feeds with 0.3 ppm of OH-SeMet for 50- to 70-week-old semi-heavy laying hens. This strategy amplifies their antioxidant defenses and results in improved egg quality and productivity compared to SS supplementation, offering a promising avenue for enhancing poultry production.