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Performance, Egg Quality Traits, and Serum Metabolite Concentrations of Laying Hens Affected by Dietary Supplemental Chromium Picolinate and Vitamin C Under a Heat-Stress Condition

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Abstract

A 3 × 2 factorial experiment consisting three levels (0, 200, and 400 μg/kg) of chromium (chromium picolinate) and two levels (0 and 250 mg/kg) of vitamin C was employed to evaluate the effects of these dietary supplements on performance, egg quality traits, and serum biochemical parameters of heat-stressed laying hens (Lohmann LSL-Lite) from 66 to 74 weeks of age. Feed intake increased when birds were given either 400 μg/kg chromium or 250 mg/kg vitamin C (P < 0.05), but the birds that received both chromium and vitamin C consumed feed similar to those that received only chromium. Dietary treatments had no effect on egg production, egg mass, egg volume, feed conversion ratio, and body mass (P > 0.05). The birds that fed on diet with chromium or vitamin C produced eggs with higher shell mass and thickness compared to the control. Both eggshell mass and thickness decreased when vitamin C and chromium were supplemented simultaneously, and birds given the diet supplemented with 400 μg/kg chromium and 250 mg/kg vitamin C had eggshell mass and thickness similar to those of the control group. The serum concentration of chromium increased due to increasing level of dietary chromium (P < 0.05). The birds that received diet with chromium and vitamin C had higher serum concentrations of chromium compared to those that received only chromium (P < 0.05). Similarly, the hens that received chromium and vitamin C had higher serum concentrations of calcium and phosphorus compared to the hens fed with other treatments (P < 0.05). The birds given with supplemental chromium exhibited lower serum glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides concentrations but higher serum albumin and total protein concentrations compared to the other groups (P < 0.05).

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the research section of Razi University for funding this research project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Razi University, Imam Avenue, Kermanshah, P.O. Box 6715685418, Iran

    Mehran Torki, Samira Zangeneh & Mahmood Habibian

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  1. Mehran Torki
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  2. Samira Zangeneh
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Correspondence to Mehran Torki.

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Torki, M., Zangeneh, S. & Habibian, M. Performance, Egg Quality Traits, and Serum Metabolite Concentrations of Laying Hens Affected by Dietary Supplemental Chromium Picolinate and Vitamin C Under a Heat-Stress Condition. Biol Trace Elem Res 157, 120–129 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-013-9872-8

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