Comparison of the Effect of Organic and Inorganic Selenium on the Quality of Local Quail Eggs

Ahmad Omar Etaki*(1) Mostafa Ahmed ALJader(1) and Rabab Hassan Absi(1)

(1). Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Aleppo University, Aleppo, Syria.

(*Corresponding Author: Eng. Ahmad Omar Etaki. E-mail: Ahmadetaki@hotmail.com).

Received: 10/10/2018                                Accepted: 19/11/2018

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the animal house of the Faculty of Agriculture, Aleppo University, Syria in 2017 and 2018 to compare the effect of the use of organic and inorganic selenium on specifications of egg quality of local quail birds. The experiment lasted for one year. 35 local mature quail aged 7-weeks-old, randomly distributed to 7 groups (5 birds per group) in the cages. The control group’s diet did not include selenium, but 0.3 mg/kg sodium selenite were added to the diets of groups (2, 3, 4 and 5), and the proportion of (methionine-vitamin E-fat) was increased in groups (3, 4 and 5) respectively. 0.3 mg/kg of organic selenium (in the yeast) was added to the sixth and seventh groups, and the fat was increased in the seventh group’s diet. Four eggs were collected of each treatment every month for egg quality tests. The results showed that the average weight of egg in the group of organic selenium+oil increased significantly with the increase in the volume of yolk (P≤0.05), so the proportion of fat and dry matter increased in the egg, while the results were adverse at high temperatures in the group of inorganic selenium+oil. The organic selenium group (P≤0.05) significantly exceeded the inorganic selenium group by producing better eggshell quality. The increase in the ratio of methionine in the diet increased the mean weight of the egg during the first periods of production significantly (P≤0.05). Adding vitamin E to the diet improves the yolk ratio and its color significantly (P0.05).

Keywords: Local quail, Eggs quality, Organic selenium, Inorganic selenium.

Full Paper in Arabic: PDF