Effects of Nano Selenium on Performance, Egg Quality, Sperm Quality and Hatching Parameters of Breeding Quails

This study was conducted to determine the effects of using nano selenium (Se) on breeding quail rations on reproductive performance, weight gain, egg quality, sperm quality, hatching parameters and liver. A total of 80 (20 males and 60 females), 10 week old quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) were used in the study. The animals were divided into two groups as control (K - inorganic sodium selenite) and experiment (D - nano sodium selenite) with 10 replicates each having one male and three female. The use of nano Se does not have any significant effect on productive performance, weight gain and feed consumption. However, it decreased the egg weight (P<0.01) and the yellow color (P<0.05) and, increased the shell weight (P<0.001), Haugh unit and shell index (P<0.01). No significant effect was determined in the shell thickness. Nano Se increased head defects (P<0.05) in spermatozoa but did not affect other morphological parameters. Nano Se decreased the fertility and hatchability of total eggs (P<0.05), while other hatching parameters were not affected. Histopathologically the hepatic changes in experiment group were characterized by fat vacuoles. As a result, the use of 0.2 mg/kg nano Se in breeding quail rations generally has a negative effect. For this reason nano Se may be recommended to use at lower levels