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Effect of L-carnitine on fertility, hatchability and sex hormones in duck breeder

Hazim J. Al-Daraji and Anmar O. Tahir

University of Baghdad, College of Agriculture, Department of Animal Production, Baghdad, Iraq

 
Abstract

In this experiment, 30 weeks-old, eighty four Iraqi drakes and sixty ducks were randomly divided into 4 equal groups  and fed dietary L-carnitine for 12 weeks (0 mg/kg diet; control group (T1), 50 mg/kg diet (T2), 100 mg/kg diet (T3) and 150 mg/kg diet (T4). The traits examined were egg fertility, hatchability and mortality of embryos and some blood sex hormones. L-carnitine significantly increased (P≤0.01) the fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs and hatchability of total eggs and significantly decreased (P≤0.01) embryonic mortality during all three hatching cycles. However, the supplementation of dietary L-carnitine at levels of 50, 100 or 150 mg/kg to a basal diet significantly increased (P≤0.01) blood testosterone in drakes during all three months of experiment. Moreover, supplemental dietary L-carnitine at level of 50, 100 or 150 mg/kg to a basal diet significantly increased (P≤0.01) blood oestrogen and progesterone in mature ducks during all three months of experiment. We concluded positive effect of L-carnitine on the reproductive performance of drakes and ducks.

Keywords: Carnitine; fertility; hatchability; sex hormones; ducks
 
To cite this article: Al-Daraji HJ and AO Tahir, 2014. Effect of L-carnitine on duck breeder fertility, hatchability and sex hormones. Res. Opin. Anim. Vet. Sci., 4(11): 608-613.
 
 
 

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