Effect of selenium sources on growth performance and tissue selenium retention in yellow broiler chicks

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of selenium (Se) sources on growth performance and tissue Se retention in yellow chicks fed a conventional corn-soybean meal basal diet. A total of 2250 one-day-old chicks were fed a Se-unsupplemented corn-soybean meal basal diet (containing 0.10 mg of Se/kg) for six days, and then chicks were assigned by body weight to 1 of 5 treatments with 6 replicates of 75 birds each floor pen in a completely randomized design. Broilers were fed the basal diet (control) or basal diet supplemented with 0.3 mg/kg of Se from sodium selenite, Nano elemental Se, Se yeast A or B for 10 days. The results showed that Se sources did not significantly (P > 0.52) affect growth performance. Se sources significantly affected (P < 0.05) Se concentrations in liver and breast muscle, in which chicks fed the diet supplemented with Se yeast B had higher (P < 0.05) tissue Se concentrations than those fed the diet supplemented with sodium selenite or Nano elemental Se. No differences (P > 0.66) were observed in liver and breast muscle Se concentrations among sodium selenite, Nano elemental Se and Se yeast A. Therefore, the new procedure used in this experiment could detect the differences of the effectiveness among Se sources, and Se yeast B was the most effective Se source for yellow broiler chicks.