Effects of maternal and progeny dietary selenium supplementation on growth performance and antioxidant capacity in ducklings

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of selenium (Se) supplementation in maternal and offspring diets on performance and antioxidant capacity of ducklings aged from 0 to 2 wk. A total of 144 female Longyan duck breeders aged 22-wk were allotted into two treatments and fed a control diet or a 0.16 mg Se/kg supplemented diet. At 40-wk, 120 offspring from each treatment were divided into two groups, with 6 replicates of 10 birds. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, ducklings from each maternal dietary treatment were assigned to a control diet or a 0.16 mg Se /kg supplemented diet from hatch to 2-wk. Compared with Se-deficient diet, maternal diet supplemented with 0.16 mg Se /kg increased the BW of hatchlings (P