The present study was conducted to evaluate two different sources (Se-hydoxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid; HMSeBA vs. selenium yeast) of organic selenium in female broiler breeders in terms of egg production, fertility, egg quality, hatchability and chick growth performance. Two hundred and twenty, 54 weeks old Ross-308 male (20) and female (200) breeders were used in the experiment. Standard breeder (female) diet based on corn and soya were used. Birds were placed in a complete randomized design with 2 dietary treatments (HMSeBA vs. Selenium yeast) and 10 replications of 10 females and 1 males per pen sized 2x1.5m. Each pen had five nests with a female tubular feeder and one individual male feeder, and nipple drinkers. The experiment occurred while the broiler breeders were from 54 to 62 weeks of age and the lighting and feeds were supplied according to the Breeders’ recommendations. Eggs were col-lected everyday and measured for exterior and interior quality measurements once a week. Throughout the experiment, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, egg production, egg yield, hen-day egg production were recorded. The data obtained in the study were analysed statistically by t-test.
The results showed that birds attained almost 240 grams of weigh in both groups without any significant dif-ference (P>0.05). Feeding the birds according to the breeder’s recommendation maintained animal performance as breeders’ target in terms of body weight, fertility and also hatchability and hatching yield. The results showed that pro-viding selenium in the form of HMSeBA or Se-yeast did not affect egg production significantly (P>0.05), but the group receiving HMSeBA gave numerically higher number of eggs and attained higher egg weigh and egg mass with better feed conversion rate. The results with respect to egg quality showed that at the last week of the trial eggs obtained from the group receiving HMSeBA exhibited better values in terms of egg shell strength (P<0.07), shell thickness (P<0.09), yolk height (P<0.06) and yolk width (P<0.01). The results obtained in the trial suggest that providing dietary organic selenium in the form of HMSeBA could be of value in improving egg quality of broiler breeder hens
