Omega-3 FA in broiler breeder nutrition

Astrid Koppenol

Introduction Yolk provides FA to embryo (80%

absorbed) Yolk lipids: n-3 PUFA N-3 PUFA eicosanoids immunity BUT!

Effect on breeder performance? Effect on egg quality? Effect on incubation? Effect on FA profile? Effect on growth offspring?

Omega-3 FA

Objectives Investigate effect of maternal transition of

Arachidonic acid AA (20:4 n-6) Eicosapentaenoic acid EPA (20:5 n-3) Docosahexaenoic acid DHA (22:6 n-3)

on: Performance of broiler breeder flock Incubation parameters Egg quality Chick quality Performance of offspring FA compositon fresh yolk – residual yolk – liver of offsprings

During time: age of motherflock: 28 – 33 – 38 – 43 – 48 – 53 - 58 weeks

PERFORMANCE OF BROILER BREEDERS

5

480 Broiler Breeders (Ross 308) + 48 cockerels Week 6 – week 58 4 Feeds:

A: n-6: controlB: n-3: EPA=DHA EPA/DHA = +/- 0,8C: n-3: DHA-rich EPA/DHA = +/- 0,2D: n-3: EPA-rich EPA/DHA = +/- 2,1

pen 1

Apen 2

Bpen 3

Cpen 4

Dpen 5

Apen 6

Bpen 7

Cpen 8

Dpen 16

Dpen 15

Cpen 14

Bpen 13

Apen 12

Dpen 11

Cpen 10

Bpen 9

A

BROILER BREEDERS

n-3 effect on: - EW- LR

n-3 no effect on:- FCR- BW

Weekly measuredWeek 25-58Mean per pen (n=4)

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

Egg

Wei

ght (

g)

50

52

54

56

58

60

62

64

66

68

b b b

a

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

Layi

ng R

ate

(%)

50

52

54

56

58

60

62

64

66

68 a

b

ab

a

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

Feed

con

vers

ion

ratio

2,0

2,5

3,0

3,5

4,0

4,5

5,0

5,5

EGG QUALITY

n-3 no effect on:- Shell Weight (g)- Proportional AW (%)- Proportional YW (%)- Proportional SW (%)- Egg deformation (µm)- Haugh unit

n-3 effect on:- Egg Weight (g)- Albumen Weight (g)- Yolk Weight (g)- Yolk color- Shell Thickness (µm)

Week 28-43-5860 eggs/treatment

Egg Weight Albumen Weight Yolk Weight Shell Weight

Wei

ght (

g)

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

ab b b

aab abb

ab

abb

Albumen Weight Yolk Weight Shell Weight

Pro

porti

onal

Wei

ght (

%)

10

20

30

40

50

60

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

28 w 43 w 58 w

yolk

col

our

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b b

a a

28 w 43 w 58 w

She

ll Th

ickn

ess

(µm

)

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b b

aab

INCUBATION PARAMETERSn-3 no effect on:- Chick quality- Chick weight (g)- Proportional CW (%)- Middle and late embryonic

mortality (%)Differences are found on:- Fertility (%)- Hatchability (%)- Early embryonic mortality (%)

Cockerels/methodology- Residual yolk weight (g)- Proportional RYW (%)

33 w 38 w 43 w 48 w 53 w 58 w

Ferti

lity

(%)

20

40

60

80

100

120CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

a ab abb a a a

b

a

b bab

38 w 43 w 48 w 53 w 58 w

Hat

chab

ility

(%)

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

a a a

b

38 w 43 w 48 w 53 w 58 w

Ear

ly e

mbr

yoni

c m

orta

lity

(%)

0

5

10

15

20

25

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b

b

b

a

38 w 43 w 48 w 53 w 58 w

Res

idua

l Yol

k W

eigh

t (g)

3

4

5

6

7

8

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

a a

b b

38 w 43 w 48 w 53 w 58 w

Pro

porti

onal

Res

idua

l Yol

k W

eigh

t (%

)

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

a a

b b

b b

a a

Week 33-38-43-48-53-58150 eggs/ treatment

OFFSPRING PERFORMANCE

n-3 no effect on:- Body weight at d14, d28, d38 (g)- Feed Intake

(starter/grower/finisher) (g/a/d)- Body Weight Gain

(starter/grower/finisher) (g/a/d)- Feed Conversion Ratio

(grower/finisher)

n-3 effect on:- Body weight at d0 (g)- FCR starter (g/a/d)- FCR total period (g/a/d)

Week 28-43-58600 eggs/ treatment 240 offspring/ treatment

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

Bod

y W

eigh

t at d

0 (g

)

20

25

30

35

40

45

50 a

b b b

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

Feed

con

vers

ion

ratio

sta

rter

1,0

1,1

1,2

1,3

1,4

1,5

1,6

a

b

ab

b

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

Feed

con

vers

ion

ratio

tota

l

1,40

1,42

1,44

1,46

1,48

1,50

1,52

1,54

1,56

1,58

1,60

a

ab

ab

b

pen

13

A

pen

14

B

pen

15

C

pen

16

D

pen

17

A

pen

18

B

pen

19

C

pen

20

D

pen

21

A

pen

22

B

pen

23

C

pen

24

Dpen

1

A

pen

2

B

pen

3

C

pen

4

D

pen

5

A

pen

6

B

pen

7

C

pen

8

D

pen

9

A

pen

10

B

pen

11

C

pen

12

D

Transfer of FA Yolk provides FA to embryo (80%

absorbed) YSM: uptake and transfer of lipids from yolk to embryonic circulation

Consumption eggs: dietary yolk n-3 PUFA

Broilers? n-3 PUFA eicosanoids immunity

- 50% of total amount of FA originally present in the yolk incorporated into tissues of chick- 50% of total FA present in yolk undergoes β-oxidation to provide energy

FA composition

4 T: 1. control (AA) 2. EPA=DHA 3. DHA>EPA 4. EPA> DHA

d1 d14 d30

Residual yolkFresh yolk Liver

n-6 n-3 n-6/n-3

FA (%

)0

5

10

15

20

25

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b b b

a

b

a a a

a

b b b

n-6 n-3 n-6/n-3

FA (%

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b b b

a

b

a a a

a

b b b

N-6/N-3 RATIO

Control eggs:- more n-6 FA- Less n-3 FA

Dietary n-3 enrichment lowers n-6/n-3

Fresh yolk Residual yolk

AA, EPA AND DHA CONC

Control group:- Higher AA conc- Lower DHA and EPA concDietary EPA - increases EPA and DHA in yolkDietary DHA - results in only higher DHA conc- Effect is less pronouncedAll enriched groups:- Much more DHA available for theProgeny compared to control groupAA EPA DHA

% F

A c

onc

0

1

2

3

4

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

a

ab b b

c c

b a

b

a ab

a FRESH YOLK

AA EPA DHA

% F

A c

onc

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b

a

ab

b b

a a

b bb

a a

a

Fresh yolk Residual yolk

AA, EPA AND DHA CONC

LIVER D1

ab

AA EPA DHA

% F

A c

onc

0

2

4

6

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b

a a a

b

a a

a

EPA conc in DHA group is increasedcompared to RY conc

All conc are higher

Biomagnification of essential PUFA

BIOMAGNIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL PUFA

= proportion of essential C20-22 FA increases each stage of transfer process from RY to embryo

1. Preferential uptake from yolk by YSM

2. In YSM: DHA translocated to TAG, resulting in enriched VLDL released into circulation

3. Preferential mobilisation from adipose TAG into plasma

Yolk RY L d1 L d14 L d30

conc

entra

tion

DH

A (%

)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b

aab

a

b

a a a

b

a a

a

b ab

a

ab

DHA VS EPA

Yolk RY L d1 L d14 L d30

conc

entra

tion

DH

A (%

)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

b

aab

a

b

a a a

b

a a

a

b ab

a

ab

Yolk RY L d1 L d14 L d30co

ncen

tratio

n E

PA

(%)

0,0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1,0

CON EPA=DHA DHA EPA

c

b

c

a

b

a

b

a

b

aa

a

abab

a

b

DHA more present early in the post hatch life, while EPA remains low and equal inprogeny liver

Breeders: decreased LR and EW Increased FCR

Egg quality: increased Ycolor, prop SW, ST decreased YW and AW

Incubation: Decreased RYW and prop RYW

Offspring: decreased BW d0, FCR starter

CONCLUSION

Dietary n-3 enrichment Lowers n-6/n-3 ratio in fresh yolk and residual yolk More DHA available for transfer to offspring from residual yolk

Adding DHA to maternal diet results in higher DHA concentration in fresh and residual yolk

Adding EPA to maternal diet results in more EPA and DHA in residual yolk

Biomagnification during transfer from RY to tissue of offspring

DHA present in higher conc early in post hatch life

CONCLUSION

Thank you for your attention!Any Questions?

Astrid Koppenol