Effects of dietary micronutrient supplementation on the reproductive traits of laying geese

Abstract

DOI: 10.15414/afz.2015.18.01.06–09

Received 12. November 2014 ǀ Accepted 16. March 2015 ǀ Available online 31. March 2015

A feeding trial was conducted with two breeder flocks of Hortobágy White goose to evaluate the possible effects of a micronutrient preparation (containing essential amino acids, vitamins and trace elements) on their reproductive traits. One flock (864 layers + 209 ganders) served as a control, and the other (731 layers + 218 ganders) as a treated group. The micronutrient preparation was given in the drinking water to the treated group in a single daily dose of 50 g per 500 kg live weight 10 days before the onset of the laying period, and thereafter at 10-day intervals for 10 days on each occasion, until the end of the laying period (lasted from 1^st February until 26^th May, 2014). Treated geese laid consistently more eggs at a higher rate of laying intensity than controls from the 3^rd laying week, resulting in a higher average production per layer (44 vs. 35 eggs) and a higher average laying intensity (38.0 % vs. 30.0 %). The comparable hatching results of eggs from treated and control geese indicated that the micronutrient preparation has not affected egg fertility (93.0 % vs. 93.5 %), hatchability of incubated eggs (89.0% vs. 88.0%), and the hatch rates (72.0 %-72.0 %). The mortality rates over 17 laying weeks were relatively low both in the treated (7.7 % of layers; 5.5 % of ganders) and control groups (5.1 % of layers; 6.2 % of ganders).

Keywords: goose, micronutrient, egg laying, egg fertility, hatchability