1. Omega-3 FA in broiler breeder nutrition
Astrid Koppenol

2. 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?

3. Omega-3 FA

4. 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 – weeks

5. Performance of broiler breeders
480 Broiler Breeders (Ross 308) + 48 cockerels
Week 6 – week 58
4 Feeds:
A: n-6: control
B: n-3: EPA=DHA EPA/DHA = +/- 0,8
C: n-3: DHA-rich EPA/DHA = +/- 0,2
D: n-3: EPA-rich EPA/DHA = +/- 2,1
pen 1 A
pen 2 B
pen 3 C
pen 4 D
pen 5
pen 6
pen 7
pen 8
pen 16
pen 15
pen 14
pen 13
pen 12
pen 11
pen 10
pen 9

6. Broiler Breeders Weekly measured Week 25-58 Mean per pen (n=4)
n-3 effect on: EW LR
n-3 no effect on:
FCR BW

7. Egg Quality Week 28-43-58 60 eggs/treatment n-3 effect on:
Egg Weight (g)
Albumen Weight (g)
Yolk Weight (g)
Yolk color
Shell Thickness (µm)
n-3 no effect on:
Shell Weight (g)
Proportional AW (%)
Proportional YW (%)
Proportional SW (%)
Egg deformation (µm)
Haugh unit

8. Incubation Parameters
n-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 (%)
Week
150 eggs/ treatment

9. Offspring Performance
Week
600 eggs/ treatment
 240 offspring/ treatment
n-3 effect on:
Body weight at d0 (g)
FCR starter (g/a/d)
FCR total period (g/a/d)
pen 13 A
pen 14 B
pen 15 C
pen 16 D
pen 17
pen 18
pen 19
pen 20
pen 21
pen 22
pen 23
pen 24
pen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
pen 10
pen 11
pen 12
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)

10. 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

11. FA composition d1 d14 d30 4 T: 1. control (AA) 2. EPA=DHA
3. DHA>EPA
4. EPA> DHA
d d d30
Fresh yolk
Residual yolk
Liver

12. N-6/n-3 ratio Fresh yolk Residual yolk Control eggs: more n-6 FA
Less n-3 FA
Dietary n-3 enrichment lowers n-6/n-3

13. AA, EPA and DHA conc Fresh yolk Residual yolk FRESH YOLK
Control group:
Higher AA conc
Lower DHA and EPA conc
Dietary EPA
increases EPA and DHA in yolk
Dietary DHA
results in only higher DHA conc
Effect is less pronounced
All enriched groups:
Much more DHA available for the
Progeny compared to control group

14. AA, EPA and DHA conc LIVER D1 EPA conc in DHA group is increased
compared to RY conc
All conc are higher
Biomagnification of essential PUFA

15. Biomagnification of essential PUFA
= proportion of essential C20-22 FA increases each stage of transfer process from RY to embryo
Preferential uptake from yolk by YSM
In YSM: DHA translocated to TAG, resulting in enriched VLDL released into circulation
Preferential mobilisation from adipose TAG into plasma

16. DHA vs EPA
DHA more present early in the post hatch life, while EPA remains low and equal in
progeny liver

17. Conclusion Breeders: Egg quality: Incubation: Offspring:
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

18. 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

19. Thank you for your attention! Any Questions?
Astrid Koppenol