Effect of dietary chroium and ascorbic acid on productive and reproductive performance of dokki4 chickens under winter conditions in Egypt [electronic resource].

Includes reference.

The effect of chromium (Cr) and ascorbic acid (AA) as a dietary supplementation on productive and reproductive performance of chickens was studied under winter conditions of Egypt. Total number of 300 (250 hens+50 cocks) Dokki4 chickens, of 30 weeks old were divided into 5 groups of 5 replicates each (10 hens +1cock1 replicate). The remaining 25 cocks were divided into 5 groups of 5 cocks each and housed separately for semen evaluation. Birds in the 1st group (Cont.+) were kept in controlled normal temperature (CNT,2°C) with 64±2% relative humidity (RH) and fed corn-soybean meal basal diet (16.4% crude protein, 2750 kcal ME/kg diet) without any supplementation. Birds in groups from 2 to 5 were exposed to natural low temperature (NLT,8-18°C) with 65±2%. These groups were fed either basal diet(Count.-), or the basal diet supplemented either with either 250 ppm AA, 400 ppb Cr or 250 ppm AA plus 400 ppb Cr. Birds weight change (BWC, 8.6%), egg number (12.9%), egg mass (13.5%), laying rateI (18.5%), hatchability of fertile eggs (4.6%), sperm motility (5.7%) and response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC's) post-injection at 6-days (13.6%) and at 9days (25.8%), impaired feed conversion (28.9%) and economic efficiency (EE, 48.1 %) and increased feed intake (9.3%), plasma contents of cholesterol (21.3%) and glucose (12.2%) contents and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in plasma (105.7%) and in semen (54.1 %) compared with control gioup under CNT

Summary in Arabic.

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