Effect of various selenium sources on selenium bioavailability, chicken growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat composition of broiler chickens

One hundred and eighty unsexed Isa Vendeta broiler chickens were used to study bioavailability of inorganic (sodium selenite) and organic (selenium enriched yeast) form of selenium. Chickens were fed for 6 wk concentrate mixtures containing 0.36 mg·kg in starter and finisher 0.37 mg·kg in grower. Selenium content in some birds’ tissues was used to determine selenium bioavailability from different, applied in experiment, compounds. Se content in legs muscles, kidneys and femurs of birds that received selenium enriched yeast (gr. II) was clearly higher (P≤0.01) than in control group (gr. I). No treatment differences in Se content in breast muscles, liver and blood serum as well as growth performance and results of post-slaughter analysis of broiler chickens were detected during the trial. Dry matter content in breast and legs muscles (P≤ 0.05), crude fat content (P≤ 0.01) in breast muscles as well as crude protein content (P≤ 0.05) in legs muscles were lower in selenium enriched yeast-fed chickens compared to sodium selenite-fed birds. The findings suggest that selenium from enriched yeast applied concentrate mixtures for broiler chicken are better absorbed than their inorganic equivalent – sodium selenite what was confirmed by higher Se level in some birds’ tissues.