Poultry Nutrition

Injecting Folic Acid during Incubation Period: Effects on Performance and Immune Function of Broilers

  • ZHI Lihui ,
  • LI Shizhao ,
  • YANG Xiaojun ,
  • YAO Junhu
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  • College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China

Received date: 2013-05-20

  Online published: 2013-10-27

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of injecting different levels of folic acid at 11 embryonic ages during incubation period on performance and immune function of broilers. A total of 114 (Sasso) hatching eggs were randomly subjected to one of the following 3 groups: saline group (injected 0.1 mL saline per egg), 45 μg folic acid group (injected 0.1 mL saline with 45 μg folic acid per egg) and 90 μg folic acid group (injected 0.1 mL saline with 90 μg folic acid per egg). Each group was allocated to 4 replicates with 6 broilers per replicate after incubation. The incubation period was 21 days and the feeding period was 42 days. The results showed as follows: 1) injecting folic acid during incubation period had an increasing trend in the body weight of 1-day-old broilers (P=0.110), and compared with saline group, injecting folic acid significantly increased the body weight of broilers aged 21 and 42 days (P=0.055; P=0.069), and the average daily gain (ADG) of broilers aged 1 to 21 days and 22 to 42 days (P=0.047; P=0.024), while had no significant effects on the average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed/gain (F/G) of broilers aged from 1 to 21 days and from 22 to 42 days (P>0.10). 2) Injecting folic acid during incubation period had no significant effects on the index of bursa of Fabricius of broilers aged 42 days and the spleen index of broilers aged 21 and 42 days (P>0.05); injecting 90 μg folic acid significantly increased the spleen index of 1-day-old broilers compared with saline group (P<0.05), compared with 45 μg folic acid group, injecting saline and 90 μg folic acid significantly increased the index of bursa of Fabricius of 1-day-old broilers (P<0.05), and compared with saline group, injecting 45 μg folic acid significantly increased the index of bursa of Fabricius of broilers aged 21 days (P<0.05). 3) Injecting folic acid during incubation period had no significant effects on plasma folic acid content of 1-day-old broilers and plasma total protein and albumin contents of broilers aged 1, 21 and 42 days (P>0.05), and compared with saline group and 90 μg folic acid group, injecting 45 μg folic acid significantly increased plasma globulin content of 1-day-old broilers (P<0.05). 4) Injecting folic acid during incubation period had no significant effects on the activities of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in liver of 1-day-old broilers (P>0.05). 5) Injecting folic acid during incubation period had no significant effects on the CD4+ percentage and CD4+/CD8+ in blood of broilers aged 28 days, and the percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ in blood of broilers aged 40 days (P>0.05); while injecting 45 μg folic acid significantly decreased the CD8+ percentage in blood of broilers aged 28 days compared with saline group (P<0.05). Based on the results of the experiment, it is concluded that injecting folic acid to egg at 11 embryonic ages during incubation period can improve the performance of broilers.

Cite this article

ZHI Lihui , LI Shizhao , YANG Xiaojun , YAO Junhu . Injecting Folic Acid during Incubation Period: Effects on Performance and Immune Function of Broilers[J]. Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2013 , 25(11) : 2567 -2575 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-267x.2013.11.009

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