The Effects of Various Level of Vitamin E on the Immunity and Egg Yield of Laying Hens

Authors: Behiç COŞKUN, Fatma İNAL, Osman ERGANİŞ, Yahya KUYUCUOĞLU, Ümran Ok, İlhami ÇELİK, Ali Muhtar TİFTİK, Firuze KURTOĞLU

Abstract: This research was carried out in two experiments. On first experiment, four different levels of vitamin E (0,5, 35 and 70 IU/kg feed) wereadded the diets based on corn, and the effects of the diets on egg yields, blood vitamin E levels, T-Iymphocyte percentage, plasma cell count in spleen and antibody titers against the vaccine of Newcastle disease were investigated for one years. Total of 864 laying hens were used in this experiment. The mean egg yields of the experimental groups were 79.9, 80.6, 77.2 and 79.5% (P>0.05) and feed concumptions for one kg egg were 2.23, 2.23, 2.36 and 2.20 kg (P<0.05). No significant differences among groups found in blood vitamin E levels and histologic and immunologic results. In the second experiment twentyfour chick for each group were supplied by hatching eggs from the heng used in experiment I in order to ivestigate maternal immunity. Antibody titers determined at day 2, 7 and 10. At same day, for histologic investigation, blood and some lenfoid tissue samples from spleen, bursa Fabricii, tymus and ileum were taken at same days the effects of different vitamin E levels were not significant on the antibody titers and histologic results.

Keywords: Vitamin E, Immunity, Maternal immunity, Laying hens, Egg yields, Antibody titers, T-Iymphocytes