Broiler breeder trace mineral nutrition and feeding practices on embryo progeny development

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of breeder feeding programme, feeder space change from rearing to lay, and trace mineral (TM) source on the development of embryo progeny. Cobb 500 broiler breeders were raised in a blackout pullet house. At 23 weeks, females that represented the body weight (BW) distribution from each pen were transferred to a laying house divided into pens with either same or more feeder space than in rearing. From 14 to 29 weeks, either a late fast or a late slow FP was used. Breeders were fed corn based diets during rearing and lay and from 56 to 62 weeks of age, these diets contained either 100% inorganic TM or an organic TM source to replace 30% of Cu, Zn, and Mn. Embryo BW, residual yolk, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development from 19 to 21 days of incubation were evaluated in 62-weeks-old breeder offspring. Allometric coefficients were determined for each GIT component. All possible interactions of this 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design were evaluated at each embryo age. Results indicated treatment effects on relative weights of GIT organs for only two-way and main effects. Allometric coefficients suggested that progeny of breeders fed diets with 100% inorganic TM or according to late fast (LF) had faster development of gizzard+proventriculus and gut, respectively. In breeder feeding practices and TM nutrition may affect GIT development of embryo progeny.