Arch.Geflügelk., 71 (3). S. 122–129, 2007, ISSN 0003-9098.
© Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart
Effect of Bioplex and Sel-Plex substituting inorganic trace mineral
sources on performance of broilers
Einfluss von Bioplex und Sel-Plex als Ersatz von anorganischen Spurenelementquellen auf
die Leistung von Broilern
Lidija Peric1, L. Nollet2, N. Miloševic1 and D. Žikic1
Manuskript eingegangen am 22. Februar 2006, angenommen am 30. Mai 2006
Introduction
Trace minerals are important nutrients in diets for poultry.
They are required for growth, bone development, feather-
ing, enzyme structure and function, and appetite. They
predominantly act as catalysts in many enzyme and hor-
mone systems (UNDERWOOD and SUTTLE, 1999). Deficiency
symptoms include disturbances of many metabolic proc-
esses, resulting in lower production performance, loss of
appetite, reproductive disorders or impaired immune re-
sponse (VAN DER KLIS and KEMME, 2002). For many years in-
organic mineral sources were added to animal feed, mostly
in the form of sulphates, oxides and carbonates. Availabil-
ity of minerals from these sources varies, but in general
sulphates are thought to have higher bioavailability than
oxides (LEDOUX et al., 1991; SMITH et al., 1995; PESTI and
BAKALLI, 1996). The levels of inclusion of trace minerals in
the feed are based mostly on NRC recommendations. Much
of the information, even in recent NRC documents, is actu-
ally based on research from the 1960's and 1970's during
which the birds and their management were substantially
different. Because of that, the NRC recommendations are
often criticized as not representing the needs of modern
strains of commercial poultry (LEESON, 2005).
Zn has been shown to have an effect on DNA replication
(O'DELL 1992) and can influence directly the immune func-
tion, although at very high levels (> 100 ppm Zn) (KIDD et
al., 1996). Besides this, minerals also play a role in other
different aspects of poultry production, including bone
and skin establishment (EDWARDS, 2000). Zn acts through
the effect on the metabolism of proteins and DNA as cofac-
tor for alkaline phosphatase and collogenase and by modi-
fication of the crystalline structure of apatit. Cu acts as a
cofactor of lysyl-oxydase, the enzyme which controls the
interweaving of collagen fibres and elastine. Mn is in-
volved in the formation of glycosaminoglycans containing
chondroitine sulphate (BEATTIE and AVENELL, 1992) as also
in the synthesis of proteoglycans present in bone growth
plate of poultry species (LIU et al., 1994). Se is known for
its anti-oxidative properties (SURAI, 2002) and has been
shown to improve feathering in broilers, linked to im-
proved skin integrity (EDENS et al., 2001).
Recently, the problem of trace mineral nutrition has got
a new dimension. It has been recognized that body reten-
1University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science,
Serbia & Montenegro
2Alltech Biotechnology Centre, Dunboyne, Ireland
tion of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in broiler chickens was only 6%,
10%, 0.2% and 6%, respectively (MOHANNA and NYS,
1998). These values are in agreement with calculations
done earlier by VAN DER KLIS (1991), who concluded that
22% (Zn), 15% (Fe), 0.6% (Mn) and 5% (Cu), respective-
ly, were retained by broiler chickens during a 6 week
growth period. This low body retention resulted in excess
of trace minerals in poultry manure, causing accumulation
in the soil (MOHANNA and NYS, 1998). The most reasonable
solution to reduce the excretion of trace minerals is to
make them more available, so that lower doses can be ap-
plied in the feed. This can be done by providing minerals in
chelated form to the animals (LEESON, 2003, 2005; VAN DER
KLIS and KEMME, 2002; NOLLET et al., 2005).
Proteinates are chelated forms of protein/amino acids
containing minerals, whose consistent bioavailability
equates more closely to that of amino acids and that seems
to be an ideal choice in formulating diets containing mini-
mal levels of trace minerals (LEESON, 2003). The use of or-
ganic sources can improve intestinal absorption of trace el-
ements as they reduce interference from agents that form
insoluble complexes with the ionic trace elements (VAN DER
KLIS and KEMME, 2002). FLY et al., (1989) observed that rel-
ative biological value of Mn-methionine was 130% in com-
parison to MnO when a semi-synthetic diet was used,
while it was 174% when a practical maize-soy diet was
used. Similar results were reported by WEDEKIND and BAKER,
(1990). They used purified basal diet, a basal diet with a
soy-isolate and a practical maize-soy diet, and found rela-
tive biological values of 117%, 177% and 206%, respec-
tively, for Zn-methionine using ZnSO4.H2O as a reference.
These results illustrate the high potential of mineral pro-
teinates when added to commercial diets.
Feeding adequate oligoelements to increase animal pro-
duction has been reviewed by NYS, (2001). However, it is
questionable if supplementation of minerals above NRC
recommendation to increase performance is the way to fol-
low. The objective of the present study was therefore not
only to evaluate the effect of organic trace mineral sources
compared to inorganic ones in broiler feed on technical
performance, but also on walking ability, hock burns, foot
pad condition, feathering, carcass yield and abdominal fat
content.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted in floor pens in an environmen-
tally controlled poultry house. A total of 2,400 day-old
chickens were assigned to 4 treatments with 8 replicates
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 Peric et al.: Effect of organic trace minerals on broiler performance
using 75 Hubbard JV broilers (as hatched) per pen. Aver-
age weight and variation of day-old birds was similar in all
pens (42 g). Each pen had a size of 5 m2 and stocking den-
sity of 15 birds/m2. Pen floors were covered with straw.
Continuous 24 h lighting was provided. Birds were vacci-
nated against Newcastle disease (NCD) and infectious bur-
sal disease (IBD).
The birds were fed ad libitum with three consecutive
feeds (Table 1). Diets were formulated on corn/soybean
basis in order to meet the requirements of the birds. The
differences between treatments were in the source and lev-
el of trace minerals (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu and Se) which were
added in inorganic (Fe sulphate, Zn oxide, Mn oxide, Cu
123
sulphate and Na selenite) or organic form (Bioplex and
Sel-Plex, Alltech Inc.USA; Table 2). Bioplex Cu, Zn, Mn
and Fe are minerals linked to a mixture of mono-, di- and
tripeptide in the level of 10% mineral chelates.
Body weight of the birds and feed intake were controlled
at weekly intervals. Mortality was recorded daily. Birds
that died were weighed and the weight was used to adjust
the feed conversion ratio. At the end of the trial (42 days)
all the birds were measured individually and flock uni-
formity was determined by calculating the inter-pen uni-
formity.
Gait score was measured at day 21 and 42 according to
the method of KESTIN et al., (1992) using 70 birds per treat-

Table 1. Composition of the experimental diets

Zusammensetzung der Versuchsrationen

Starter Grower Finisher

Ingredients, %
(1-21 d) (22-35 d) (36-42 d)

Corn 48.6 54.5 60.4

Soybean meal (44% CP ) 22.0 14.0 13.5
Full fat soybeans (extruded) 22.0 20.0 15.0
Sunflower meal (42% CP) 2.0 5.0 5.0
Vegetable oil 1.5 3.0 3.0
Limestone 0.9 0.9 0.7
Dicalcium phosphate 1.9 1.6 1.5
Salt 0.3 0.3 0.3
DL-methionine 0.2 0.1 0.1
L-lysine-HCl 0.1 0.1 0.0
Vitamin + mineral premix1,2 0.5 0.5 0.5

Nutrients (%)3 and energy level (MJ ME/kg) (calculated)

Crude protein 22.2 19.8 18.2
ME MJ/kg 13.0 13.4 13.4
Lysine 1.39 1.17 0.97
Methionine 0.57 0.46 0.44
Cystine 0.35 0.31 0.29
Tryptophan 0.31 0.27 0.24
Threonine 0.87 0.72 0.46
Calcium 0.91 0.83 0.72
Total P 0.75 0.66 0.62
Available P 0.45 0.40 0.35

1Vit+mineral mixture provides per kg of diet: 25000 IU of vitamin A; 5000 IU of vitamin D ; 100 mg of vitamin E; 6 mg of vitamin K3; 4 mg of
3
vitamin B1; 10 mg of vitamin B2; 30 mg of vitamin B3; 6 mg of vitamin B6; 60 mg of nicotinamide; 2 mg of folic acid; 0.06 mg of vitamin B12;
0.2 mg of biotin; 1000 mg of choline chloride; 2 mg of Co and 4 mg of I.
2The levels of trace minerals (Mn, Zn, Cu, Fe and Se) differed between groups (Table 2).
3The levels of trace minerals in basal feed per kg of diet (analyzed) were 170 ppm Fe, 40 ppm Zn, 9 ppm Cu and 20 ppm Mn.

Table 2. Level and source of trace minerals inclusion in the feed (mg mineral/kg of feed)
Höhe und Quelle der Spurenelementzulage zum Futter (mg Spurenelement/ kg Futter)

Treatment Treatments
Source A Source B C D

Fe sulphate, mg 60 Bioplex Fe 20 40 60
Mn sulphate, mg 60 Bioplex Mn 20 40 60
Cu sulphate, mg 15 Bioplex Cu 5 10 15
Zn oxide, mg 60 Bioplex Zn 20 40 60
Na selenite, mg 0.3 Sel-Plex 0.1 0.2 0.3

Arch.Geflügelk. 3/2007
124 Peric et al.: Effect of organic trace minerals on broiler performance
ment at day 21, and 100 birds per treatment at day 42.
Walking ability was scored in one of the six categories
ranging from 0 (completely normal) to 5 (immobile) as de-
scribed by THOMAS et al., (2004). Hock burns were deter-
mined on the same birds as for the gait and feather score
using three point scale according to the method described
by THOMAS et al.(2004): score 1= no burns; score 2= mild
burns; score 3= severe burns.
At 3 weeks of age feather score was determined by
counting the number of feather germs from the peak of the
breast bone towards the neck. The results are presented as
average number of feather germs per treatment. At 42 days
of age feather score was determined according to the
method of GYLES et al. (1962) which was adapted due to
the changes of body weight and width of the breast in mod-
ern hybrids of broilers. Each bird was stroked over the keel
with the palm of the hand in an anterior posterior direction
and the amount of flesh showing through the pressed
feathers was scored on the three point scale: 1= relatively
large amount of skin showing, 2= medium amount of skin
showing and 3= almost complete feather cover with small
amount of skin showing.
At the end of the experiment 12 male and 12 female
birds from each treatment were selected at a body weight
close to the pen average for carcass evaluation. Carcass
yield (% of live weight) and abdominal fat content (in g
and % of live weight) were determined. Foot pad lesions
were scored on the same birds after the slaughtering, using
the three point scale (THOMAS et al., 2004): score 1= no le-
sions; score 2= mild lesions; score 3= severe lesions.
European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) was cal-
culated according to the following formula:
Body weight (g) × survival rate (%)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- × 10
Feed conversion × duration of trial (days)
Data are presented as means ± standard deviation and
pen means were considered as experimental unit. Thus,
each treatment consisted of eight replications. Data were
analyzed by ANOVA followed by a Duncan’s post hoc test
using StatSoft software (STATISTICA 7, 2005). Percentage
data were converted to arcsine prior to analyses. Results
are considered significant when P< 0.05.
Results
The effects of different trace mineral sources on weight
gain, flock uniformity, feed intake, feed conversion ratio
(FCR), mortality rate and EPEF are shown in Table 3. Birds
generally performed well and the results of the technical
performance indicated a non significant increase of body
weight at the end of the trial for treatments B to D (organic
minerals) versus treatment A (inorganic minerals). Flock
uniformity was relatively poor, but considering the fact
that the groups were formed as hatched, these results
could be considered as fairly good. Feed intake and FCR
were not affected by treatments. The FCR remained con-
stant ranging between 1.88 and 1.90. Overall mortality
rate was under 5% in all groups except treatment B, but
however not significantly different. As the number of birds
in the trial was quite low, practical confirmation of the ef-
fect on mortality will probably require a larger scale (field)
trial. Higher mortality rate in group B lead to the lowest

Table 3. Impact of inorganic and different levels of organic trace mineral sources on the technical performance of broilers
Auswirkung der Zulage anorganischer und unterschiedlicher Gehalte organischer Spurenelementquellen auf die Mastleistung der Broi-
ler

T R E A T M E N T1
Parameter A B C D

Body weight (g)

3 weeks 715 ± 42.2 699 ± 23.5 723 ± 57.8 720 ± 44.6
6 weeks 2053 ± 41.9 2068 ± 73.0 2092 ± 48.7 2084 ± 39.8

Feed intake (g)

3 weeks 1003 ± 32.1 1000 ± 29.4 987 ± 26.4 1018 ± 30.2
6 weeks 3803 ± 122.6 3851 ± 199.6 3856 ± 115.4 3841 ± 107.5

Feed conversion ratio

3 weeks 1.49 ± 0.07 1.52 ± 0.04 1.45 ± 0.07 1.50 ± 0.08
6 weeks 1.89 ± 0.09 1.90 ± 0.13 1.88 ± 0.08 1.88 ± 0.08

Flock uniformity (%)

6 weeks 66.0 ± 8.14 64.0 ± 5.44 64.5 ± 5.78 67.5 ± 7.79
Mortality rate (%)
3 weeks 1.28 1.44 1.12 0.96
6 weeks 4.96 7.20 4.64 4.96

EPEF
6 weeks 246 240 253 251

1Treatment A contained Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se in form of Cu sulphate, Zn oxide, Fe sulphate, Mn oxide and Na selenite at levels of 15 ppm Cu,
60 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe, and 0.3 ppm Se. Treatment B contained 5 ppm Cu and 15 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe in form of Bioplex, and 0.1 Se in form of
Sel-Plex; Treatment C contained twice the levels of treatment B; Treatment D contained three times the levels of Treatment B.

Arch.Geflügelk. 3/2007
 Peric et al.: Effect of organic trace minerals on broiler performance 125
Table 4. Impact of inorganic and different levels of organic trace mineral sources on the gait score of broilers at 3 and 6 weeks of
age
Auswirkung der Zulage anorganischer und unterschiedlicher Gehalte organischer Spurenelementquellen auf den Gait Score der Broiler
im Alter von 3 und 6 Wochen

Body Average Frequency, %

Treatment1 n 0 1 2 3 4 5
weight, g gait score

3 weeks
A 68 676 0.22 85.53 13 1.47 0 0 0
B 69 658 0.26 76.80 20.28 2.89 0 0 0
C 67 678 0.22 86.02 11 2.98 0 0 0
D 68 692 0.23 85.06 12 2.94 0 0 0

6 weeks
A 108 2005 0.39 70.4 22.2 6.5 0.9 0 0
B 108 2020 0.36 70.4 24.1 4.6 0.9 0 0
C 108 2065 0.44 66.7 28.7 1.85 1.85 0.9 0
D 106 2060 0.47 66.0 25.5 6.6 0 1.9 0

1Treatment A contained Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se in form of Cu sulphate, Zn oxide, Fe sulphate, Mn oxide and Na selenite at levels of 15 ppm Cu,
60 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe, and 0.3 ppm Se. Treatment B contained 5 ppm Cu and 15 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe in form of Bioplex, and 0.1 Se in form of
Sel-Plex; Treatment C contained twice the levels of treatment B; Treatment D contained three times the levels of Treatment B.

EPEF in that group. The EPEF values in other groups were

moderate.
Table 5. Impact of inorganic and different levels of organic
As it can be seen from Table 4, there were no significant trace mineral sources on the incidence of hock burns and foot
differences between groups in average gait score. The pad lesions
method for evaluation of this trait is quite subjective, but Auswirkung der Zulage anorganischer und unterschiedlicher Ge-
the evaluation was done by the same operators for all halte organischer Spurenelementquellen auf die Häufigkeit von
groups and for both times, so even if there was an influence Hock Burns und Fußballenläsionen
of subjective evaluation it was the same for all groups. How-
ever, no problems with legs or walking ability were noticed Average Frequency, %
during the trial, regardless of the treatment. At three weeks Treatment1 n 1 2 3
score
of age, there were no birds with gait score higher than 2 in
any group, and that can be considered as normal walk, with
Hock burns
only mild irregularities which were expressed at the most in
3 weeks
group B. At 6 weeks of age birds of group B had the best gait
score and the worst result was found in group D. Consider- A 68 1.04 95.6 4.4 0
ing the fact that none of the differences were statistically B 69 1.10 89.8 10.2 0
significant, it can be concluded that there was no negative C 67 1.07 92.5 7.5 0
impact of lowering the level of Bioplex trace minerals on D 68 1.07 92.6 7.4 0
gait score and walking ability of the birds.
The incidence of hock burns is examined on the same Hock burns
dates and on the same birds as for gait and feather score 6 weeks
and the results are shown in Table 5. Average values and A 108 1.03 98.2 0.9 0.9
frequency of the birds with different scores undoubtedly B 108 1.06 93.5 6.5 0
showed that condition of the hock joint was very good in
C 108 1.05 95.4 4.6 0
all groups because more than 90% of the birds did not have
any burns on the hock. At 3 weeks of age the worst result D 106 1.09 95.3 2.8 1.9
was obtained in group B, but this difference was small and
under the level of statistical significance. Also, this effect Foot pad lesions
was not demonstrated at 6 weeks of age. 6 weeks
Foot pad lesions were determined only at the end of the A 24 1.90 40.0 30.0 30.0
trial on the birds which were selected for the carcass qual- B 24 2.12 29.0 29.0 42.0
ity examination (Table 5). Incidence of lesions on the foot C 24 2.11 17.6 53.0 29.4
was quite high, and the best result was obtained in group D. D 24 1.67 50.0 33.3 16.7
Feather score was determined at 3 and 6 weeks of age,
but the number of feather germs was counted only at 3 1Treatment A contained Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se in form of Cu sul-
weeks of age (Table 6). Number of feather germs from the phate, Zn oxide, Fe sulphate, Mn oxide and Na selenite at levels of
peak of the breast bone towards the neck showed an in- 15 ppm Cu, 60 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe, and 0.3 ppm Se. Treatment B
crease from 22.9 in treatment A to 24.5 in treatment D. Al- contained 5 ppm Cu and 15 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe in form of Bioplex,
so, at 6 weeks of age the feather scoring results showed a and 0.1 Se in form of Sel-Plex; Treatment C contained twice the lev-
tendency in increasing the feathering (1.80 in treatment A els of treatment B; Treatment D contained three times the levels of
to 1.90 in treatment D). Treatment B.

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126 Peric et al.: Effect of organic trace minerals on broiler performance
Table 6. Effect of inorganic and different levels of organic trace mineral sources on feathering in broilers at 3 and 6 weeks of age
Auswirkung der Zulage anorganischer und unterschiedlicher Gehalte organischer Spurenelementquellen auf die Befiederung im Alter
von 3 und 6 Wochen

Treatment1 Rank 1-33

Average No. frequency, %
of feather germs2 Average score 1 2 3

A 22.9 1.80 28.7 63.0 8.3

B 22.7 1.87 28.7 55.6 15.7
C 23.7 1.93 23.2 61.1 15.7
D 24.5 1.90 23.5 66.1 10.4

1Treatment A contained Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se in form of Cu sulphate, Zn oxide, Fe sulphate, Mn oxide and Na selenite at levels of 15 ppm Cu,
60 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe, and 0.3 ppm Se. Treatment B contained 5 ppm Cu and 15 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe in form of Bioplex, and 0.1 Se in form of
Sel-Plex; Treatment C contained twice the levels of treatment B; Treatment D contained three times the levels of Treatment B.
2 at 3 weeks of age, n=108 per treatment
3 at 6 weeks of age, n=68 per treatment

Table 7. Effect of inorganic and different levels of organic trace mineral sources carcass yield and content of abdominal fat (n=12
per treatment)
Auswirkung der Zulage anorganischer und unterschiedlicher Gehalte organischer Spurenelementquellen auf die Schlachtausbeute
und den Abdominalfettgehalt (n = 12 je Behandlung)

Males Females
Body Carcass Abdominal fat Body Carcass Abdominal fat
weight, g yield, % g % weight, g yield, % g %

A1 2120 67.8b 17.9 0.84 1847 68.0ab 19.0 1.02

B 2160 68.8ab 20.1 0.94 1800 68.1ab 16.8 0.94
C 2122 68.8ab 20.0 0.95 1870 67.7a 19.4 1.01
D 2131 69.8a 21.5 0.99 1820 69.3b 16.6 0.90

a-bValues without common superscript are significantly different (P<0.05)

1Treatment A contained Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se in form of Cu sulphate, Zn oxide, Fe sulphate, Mn oxide and Na selenite at levels of 15 ppm
Cu, 60 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe, and 0.3 ppm Se. Treatment B contained 5 ppm Cu and 15 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe in form of Bioplex, and 0.1 Se in form
of Sel-Plex; Treatment C contained twice the levels of treatment B; Treatment D contained three times the levels of Treatment B.

The results of carcass examination (Table 7) showed the
tendency that higher levels of Bioplex increase the carcass
yield of the birds. In male birds, the best results were
achieved with the highest level of Bioplex, but the birds fed
with two or three times lower level of organic trace miner-
als (treatments B and C) also had higher carcass yield than
the birds fed with inorganic trace mineral sources (group
A). Similar situation was found in female birds, only with
the exception of treatment C, which had the lowest carcass
yield. As expected, in general fat deposition was lower for
male than for female chickens. Observing the effect of level
and source of trace minerals, the quantity of abdominal fat
showed opposite results in males than in females. In fact,
percentage of abdominal fat pad in males showed a ten-
dency to increase from treatment A (0.84%) to treatment
D (0.99%). On the contrary, in females abdominal fat pad
showed a tendency to decrease from treatment A (1.02%)
to treatment D (0.90%).
Discussion
The objective of this study was to determine if there was
any negative effect of lowering the level of trace minerals
in feed on broiler performance when supplied in organic
form with high bioavailability. LEESON, (2003) stated that
birds fed just 20% of a normal industrial level of Bioplex
trace minerals performed well in cages in comparison to
the inorganic groups. In a subsequent trial broilers were
grown on litter to 42 days. Trace minerals were provided as
Bioplex minerals, reduced to 14% or 7% of the total inor-
ganic minerals in the diet. Growth rate and feed conversion
ratio (FCR) at 42 days were acceptable compared to con-
trol group. The results of NOLLET et al., (2005) indicated
that body weight and FCR of broiler chickens at 49 days
were not significantly different between groups fed with
inorganic or Bioplex mineral sources, but the output of
minerals in the faeces was lower when fed lower levels of
Bioplex minerals. There are many studies which can con-
firm the statement that needs of broilers in trace elements
according to NRC recommendations are overestimated. In
experiments reported by SKINNER et al., (1992) no signifi-
cant effects on weight gain or FCR were obtained when vi-
tamin and trace minerals were removed from the feed at
28 days, although body weight of birds was numerically re-
duced and FCR increased. A series of studies conducted at
Oklahoma State University (TEETER and DEHYHIM, 1996)
showed that trace mineral withdrawal from the grower
diet failed to impact live production performance. In con-
trast with these results CHRISTMAS et al., (1995) reported
that removing both vitamins and trace minerals during the
last two weeks resulted in reduced weight gain.

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 Peric et al.: Effect of organic trace minerals on broiler performance
Overall mortality was acceptable in all groups except in
the group B where it was higher than expected but the dif-
ference was not statisticaly signifficant. Published data
from studies conducted to trace mineral nutrition indicate
that source or level of trace minerals has no effect on mor-
tality (SKINNER et al., 1992; TEETER and DEHYHIM, 1996; LEE-
SON, 2003) and that was confirmed in this trial.
Gait score provide useful information of the walking
ability of the birds. The scientific literature contains evi-
dence that dietary levels of 8 vitamins, 13 elements (in-
cluding trace minerals) and 6 amino acids, protein and en-
ergy may be directly involved in leg disorders or skeletal
problems in poultry (EDWARDS 2000). In the present study,
results of the gait score assessment at 3 and 6 weeks of age
showed very low average values in all groups, without any
significant difference between them. Actually, the propor-
tion of birds with gait score higher than 3 was practically
negligible. Very low proportions of birds given score 3 or
above could be an underestimate of the prevalence of very
poor gait because those birds could already have been
culled or have died. This is not in accordance with results
of KESTIN et al., (1992) who reported that only 10% of com-
mercial birds were identified as normal (gait score 0) and
26% of the birds were given a gait score of 3 or above. Au-
thors suggested that genotype makes a major contribution
to the prevalence of leg weakness. A similar conclusion
was reached by DUFF and THORP, (1985). THOMAS et al.,
(2004) reported that average gait score of broilers in their
trial was 1.78. KESTIN et al., (1992) also stated that 90% of
broilers reared under intensive conditions had a detectable
abnormality in their gait and that is much higher percent-
age compared to the results of this trial. However, the sub-
jective nature of scoring system leads to difficulties in mak-
ing direct comparisons between different studies. A possi-
ble explanation for low average gait score in the present
study may be in the circumstance that the trial was con-
ducted under experimental conditions, in small groups
with stocking density of 15 birds per m2 with very good en-
vironmental condition. The lack of hock burns in more
than 92% of the examined birds also confirms the fact that
there were no significant leg problems. The average value
of hock burns score reported by THOMAS et al., (2004) was
2.08 and that is much higher than in the present study.
It is known that the feathers reflect the chicken well be-
ing and their integrity both in layers and broilers. A vigor-
ous feathering is important in broilers for covering and for
external protection. As the market age for broilers contin-
ues to decline, the “maturity” of feather cover becomes
even more important for protection of the skin and under-
lying tissue (LEESON and WALSH, 2004). Feathering is mul-
tifactorial process that is determined genetically, hormo-
nally, by the environmental conditions and nutritional sta-
tus (DAVIDSON and SKODA, 2005). Estimation of the degree
of feathering is not easy, especially on live birds. It is usual
to show the values as weight of feathers per unit of body
mass, or per unit of metabolic body mass (LEESON and
WALSH, 2004). There is also the possibility of assessing the
feathering of the birds by scoring system, but there is a lack
of accurate data showing feather score on broilers. The
method of counting the feather germs on the breast at 21
days of age turned out to be quite suitable for that age, but
at 42 days a scoring system appeared to be more accepta-
ble. The results showed that there was an increase in germ
counts and the degree of feathering in groups fed with Bi-
oplex and Sel-Plex trace minerals. There is some evidence
that trace minerals can influence feather development
(LEESON and WALSH, 2004). In their study EDENS et al.,
(1999) investigated whether Sel-Plex would affect feather-
ing rate in male and female broilers reared either on the
Arch.Geflügelk. 3/2007
127
floor or in cages. The comparison was with sodium selenite
and they found that Sel-Plex induced more rapid whole
body feathering in both males and females. Deficiencies of
zinc, vanadium, chromium and nickel have all been report-
ed to affect feathering (SCOTT et al., 1959; BAKER and
MOLITORIS, 1975). SUNDE, (1972) and COOK et al., (1984)
described a feathering problem in birds that was respon-
sive to zinc supplementation.
Recently, more emphasis has been placed on formulat-
ing feed to achieve goals other than growth such as im-
proved immune response or improved carcass yield. The
results of a current study showed the tendency that higher
levels of Bioplex increase the carcass yield of the birds. In
the studies of TEETER and DEHYHIM, (1996) and SKINNER et
al., (1992) withdrawal of trace minerals from the grower
diet failed to impact carcass criteria, and that can indicate
that the relationship between trace minerals and carcass
quality traits is not quite clear. TEETER and DEHYHIM, (1996)
also reported that abdominal fat percent was increased
when the trace minerals were removed from the diet. In
this study, the quantity of abdominal fat showed opposite
results in males than in females. In fact, percentage of ab-
dominal fat pad showed a tendency to increase from treat-
ment A (0.84%) to treatment D (0.99%), but in females
the opposite tendency was observed.
Conclusions
Under the condition of the current study, the performance
of the birds including weight gain, FCR, mortality rate, gait
and feather score, hock burns and foot pad condition was
similar between treatments, while the carcass yield was
somewhat better in Bioplex/Sel-Plex groups. It can be con-
cluded from this trial that lowering the level of trace min-
eral sources in broiler diets at 33% of the regular level by
Bioplex and Sel-Plex is possible without any loss in per-
formance. These results need to be confirmed in subse-
quent studies in order to make an assessment of the actual
requirements in trace minerals for broilers. Besides that,
the reduction of excretion of minerals in faeces needs to be
taken into account when evaluating the benefit of the use
of organic trace mineral sources instead of inorganic.
Summary
A trial was set up to evaluate the reduction of mineral levels
in broiler feed by replacing inorganic mineral sources by or-
ganic sources. The trial was designed as a 4 x 8 test (4 groups
and 8 replicates) using 75 Hubbard JV broilers (mixed sex)
per pen. Feed was corn/soybean based. Treatment A con-
tained Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Se under inorganic form (CuSul-
phate, ZnOxide, FeSulphate, MnOxide, NaSelenite) at levels
of 15 ppm Cu, 60 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe, and 0.3 ppm Se. Treat-
ment B contained 5 ppm Cu and 15 ppm Zn, Mn and Fe un-
der from of Bioplex, and 0.1 ppm Se under form of Sel-Plex
while Treatments C and D contained twice, respectively
three times the levels of trace minerals of Treatment B.
Results of the technical performance indicated a non sig-
nificant growth increase resulting in 42-d body weights of
2,053, 2,068, 2,092 and 2,084 g for Treatments A to D. The
FCR remained constant ranging between 1.88 and 1.90. No
real clear effect on gait, foot pad lesions and hock scores
could be observed. However, feather score at 21 days, de-
termined by counting the number of feather germs from the
peak of the breast bone towards the neck demonstrated an
increase in germ counts from 22.9 in Tr. A to 24.5 in Tr. D.
Also, at 42 days of age average feather score indicated a ten-
128 Peric et al.: Effect of organic trace minerals on broiler performance
dency in increased feathering (score 1.80, 1.87, 1.93 and
1.90 for Treatments A to D). It can be concluded from this
trial that trace mineral levels in broiler feed can be reduced
to at least 1/3 of the original levels using organic forms (Bi-
oplex, Sel-Plex) without compromising performance.
Key words
Broiler, nutrition, trace elements, organic, inorganic, gait
score, feathering
Zusammenfassung
Einfluss von Bioplex und Sel-Plex als Ersatz von an-
organischen Spurenelementquellen auf die Leistung
von Broilern
Das Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war, zu prüfen, in-
wieweit durch das Ersetzen der anorganischen Spurenele-
mentquellen durch organische der Spurenelementgehalt
der Futterrationen von Broilern reduziert werden kann. Der
Versuch war ein-faktoriell (4 Behandlungen) mit jeweils 8
Wiederholungen angelegt. Eine Wiederholung (Abteil) be-
stand aus 75 nicht nach Geschlecht sortierten Hubbard JV
Broilern. Es wurde eine Mais/Soja Grundfutterration ver-
wendet. Kupfer (Cu), Zink (Zn), Eisen (Fe), Mangan (Mn)
und Selen (Se) wurden als anorganische (Cu-Sulphat,
Zn-Oxid, Fe-Sulphat, Mn-Oxid, Na-Selenit) oder organische
(Bioplex, Sel-Plex) Quellen wie folgt zugelegt: Behandlung
A anorganische Verbindungen Cu (15 mg/kg), Zn (60), Mn
(60), Fe (60), Se (0,3); Behandlung B organische Verbin-
dungen Cu (5 mg/kg), Zn (15), Mn (15), Fe (15) als Bio-
plex, Se (0,1) als Sel-Plex; Behandlung C die doppelte Men-
ge an organischen Spurenelementverbindungen wie in Be-
handlung B; Behandlung D die dreifache Menge an organi-
schen Spurenelementverbindungen wie in Behandlung B.
Die Lebendgewichte am 42. Lebenstag waren in der Rei-
henfolge der Behandlungen A nach D tendenziell höher
(2053, 2068, 2092, 2084 g). Die Futterverwertung lag in al-
len Behandlungen zwischen 1,88 und 1,90 g/g. Zwischen
den Behandlungen wurden keine klaren Unterschiede für
den Gait Score sowie die Häufigkeit und Schwere an Fußbal-
lenläsionen und Hock Burns beobachtet. Demgegenüber
wurden von Behandlung A (22,9) nach Behandlung D (24,5)
höhere Befiederungsdichten (bestimmt als Anzahl der Feder-
follikel zwischen dem Brustbeinkamm und dem Nacken) re-
gistriert. Tendenziell nahm die durchschnittliche Befiede-
rungsnote bis zum 42. Tag zu (A bis D 1,80, 1,87, 1,93 und
1,90). Es kann daher der Schluss gezogen werden, dass bei
Verwendung organischer Spurenelementquellen (Bioplex,
Sel-Plex) der Spurenelementgehalt der Futterrationen für
Broiler auf ein Drittel der bisher üblichen Höhe reduziert wer-
den kann, ohne negativen Auswirkungen auf die Leistung.
Stichworte
Broiler, Fütterung, Spurenelemente, organisch, anorga-
nisch, Gait Score, Befiederung
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Correspondence: Dr. Lidija Peric, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture,
Department of Animal Science, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 8, 21000 Novi Sad,
Serbia & Montenegro; e-mail: lidija@polj.ns.ac.yu