Effect of selenium In ovo injection and addition to diet on hatching results, liver antioxidant level and chick development in chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar)

In this study, the effects of enrichment eggs by in ovo selenium injection and supplement of selenium to diet after post hatch on chick development, GPx enzyme activity in liver, selenium concentration in tissues and fattening performance were investigated. For this purpose, 560 fertilized chukar partridge eggs were divided into 4 groups [control (not in ovo injection), saline (30 µl 5 % saline solution), Se 0.4 (0.4 µg Se addition in 5 % saline solution/ 30 µl injection/ egg), Se 0.8 (0.8 µg Se addition in 5 % saline solution/ 30 µl injection/ egg)] for in ovo injection. On the 21st day of the incubation were conducted in ovo injection in these groups and after post hatch chicks were fed by adding 0.4 and 0.8 mg / kg Se to feed. At the end of the research; 0.4 µg of selenium injection into eggs have positive effects on incubation parameters but 0.8 µg of selenium injection was not as effective as much as 0.4 µg injected group. The application of in ovo selenium injection significantly increased the level of selenium in the breast tissue of the day-old chicks and increased the GPx enzyme activity in the liver tissues of one-week-old chukar partridges (p<0.05). As a result of this research; the application of 0.8 µg Se in ova injection at high dose was similar in terms of incubation deaths with the control group but selenium accumulation in tissues were found that this level had a positive effect on feed consumption and it was concluded that further studies on this dose should be carried out. However, due to the limited effect of in ovo applications, it was found that supplement of selenium both as much as in ovo 0.4 µg-0.8 µg to eggs and 0.4 mg/kg-0.8 mg/kg Se supplement to feed was possible.