Effect of Vitamin E and Selenium on Fertility, Hatchability and Survivability of Turkey

Effect of supplementing diets with vitamin E and selenium on fertility, hatchability and survivability of indigenous turkey was undertaken using 48, thirty two weeks old turkeys. They were randomly allotted to four treatments and each treatment was in triplicate of one tom to three hens per replicate. T1 (control-the basal diet), T2 (250mg/kg vitamin E supplementation), T3 (0.30mg/kg selenium supplementation) and T4 (combination of 125mg/kg vitamin E and 0.15mg/kg selenium supplementation) in a completely randomized design. Data collected on parent stock were average egg produced (AEP), average egg weight (AEW), feed intake, number of poult hatched (ANPH) while average hatched weight (AHWP), survivability, average survival weight (ASWP), weekly weight gain, weekly feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were taken for the poults. The AEP (T1-28, T2-9.0, T3-10.5, T4-3.5) varied significantly (p < 0.05) among treatments. Birds on T1 (70.08g) had significantly higher value of AEW compared with those on T3 (59.24g). Feed intake showed no significant (p > 0.05) variation among treatments. Percentage hatchability is significantly higher for birds on T4 (91.67%) compared with those on Treatments 1 (39.44), 2 (48.21) and 3 (33.33). No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed for AHWP, feed intake and FCR of the poults. Percentage survivability (T1-61.5%, T2-85.0%, T3-66.67%, T4-90.0%) was improved significantly (p < 0.05) by the treatments. Birds on T4 (205.97g) had significantly (p < 0.05) higher value of ASWP than those on T1 (181.0g). From the study it can be concluded that supplementing parent turkey diet with vitamin E and selenium at 125 mg/kg and 0.15 mg/kg of the diet respectively improved percentage hatchability and percentage survivability of their poults.