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12 March 2024 The effect of feeding flaxseed as a source of omega-3 fatty acids to broiler and layer breeders during rearing and lay on body weight, reproductive performance, and hatchability performance indices
Rosemary H. Whittle, Elijah G. Kiarie, Tina M. Widowski
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Abstract

Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) are fed to chickens to enrich eggs for human consumption. Feeding n-3 FA to breeder flocks could benefit the breeders and improve their offspring’s health, welfare, and productivity. This study assessed the impacts of feeding flaxseed (n-3 FA source) on broiler breeders’ and layer breeders’ production performance. In experiment one, Ross 708 broiler breeders were fed a control or flaxseed (2.57% co-extruded flaxseed and pulses) diet during rearing and laying. In experiment two, Shaver White and ISA Brown layer breeders were fed a control or flaxseed diet. Diet tended to affect broiler breeder body weight (BW) (P = 0.06) and significantly affected BW uniformity (P = 0.045). There were no significant pairwise comparisons. Broiler breeders fed flaxseed produced more eggs than control breeders (P < 0.001) and had better feed conversion per egg mass (P < 0.001). Maternal diet tended to affect broiler offspring sex (P = 0.08), but there were no significant pairwise comparisons. Flaxseed diet did not affect layer breeder weight (P = 0.90) but decreased uniformity (P = 0.07). Strain (P = 0.04), but not diet (P = 0.95), influenced the sex of layer offspring. More female chicks hatched from Shaver White than ISA Brown breeders. Feeding flaxseed did not negatively affect productivity. Feeding n-3 FA may benefit broiler breeder egg production.

Rosemary H. Whittle, Elijah G. Kiarie, and Tina M. Widowski "The effect of feeding flaxseed as a source of omega-3 fatty acids to broiler and layer breeders during rearing and lay on body weight, reproductive performance, and hatchability performance indices," Canadian Journal of Animal Science 104(3), 313-323, (12 March 2024). https://doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2023-0118
Received: 7 November 2023; Accepted: 7 March 2024; Published: 12 March 2024
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KEYWORDS
broiler breeder
egg production
growth
layer breeder
omega-3 fatty acids
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