Why vitamin E makes your breeders more productive?

Vitamin E refers to a group of eight compounds that include four tocopherols and four
tocotrienols.  Requirements for poultry species depend on the age of the animal and the
reproductive stage, being the lowest for laying hens. It interacts with other diet ingredients,
such as oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), antioxidants, sulfur amino acids and
selenium, and for this reason precise needs are difficult to standarize.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, accumulates in tissues and many studies have reported
that maternal intake affects the nutritional status of eggs, embryos and new born chicks.

The benefits of administering the right amounts of this vitamin can be divided into:

1. Benefits for hens

Roles of vitamin E in poultry are related to its antioxidant activity, immunity
enhancing function and improvement of detoxification.Pullets respond to levels of
vitamin E with improved feed efficiency and reduced tracheal lesions after infectious
bronchitis challenge.As it is also involved in ova (reproductive cells) formation,
vitamin E improves fertility and laying rate.Besides, in stressful conditions that
increase metabolic peroxidation, such as heat stress,vitamin E reduces breeder
mortality.
2. Benefits for cocks
Avian semen has a high proportion of PUFA, which are very susceptible to oxidation.
Free radicals produced as a consequence of oxidation reduce fertility of male birds.
Vitamin E was found in poultry semen in 1981 and it is the most important lipid
antioxidant, that’s why it is known as anti-sterility vitamin.Supplementation of
vitamin E increases semen volume, total sperm concentration, sperm livability, sperm
motility and egg fertility.
3. Benefits during egg formation and embryo development
Supplementation of vitamin E to hens improves parameters related to egg quality (egg
weight, specific gravity, eggshell breaking strength and thickness).During embryo
developmental stage, the presence of PUFA in tissues increases, making the embryo
very vulnerable to peroxidation. Oxidative stress can lead to essential nutrient
deprivation or tissue damage. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, having a very positive
impact on hatchability.
4. Benefits for new born chicks
During the first week, chicks are not able to cover the whole requirements of fat-
 soluble vitamins from diet because the amount of digestive lipase and bile secretion is
too low for a proper nutrient absorption. In this period, reserves transferred from
maternal diet are key.High maternal vitamin E supplementation on new born chicks:
o Boosts adaptive and innate immunity. Antibody titer of day old chicks from
hens receiving high vitamin E supplementation is higher.

o Improves productive parameters of broilers during the first week: Feed intake,
feed conversion ratio and live weight.

Vitamins are usually given through feed, but in stressful moments requirements increase
dramatically, from 3 to 5 folds. During these periods, it is more practical to administer
vitamins through drinking water using products like PhytoMax©.