The effects of maternal dietary vitamin premixes, canthaxanthin, and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on the performance of progeny ducklings.

This trial studied the effects of maternal dietary vitamin premixes, and the mixture of canthaxanthin (CX) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) on the performance of progeny ducklings. Four maternal diets were used under a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 kinds of vitamin premixes (Regular and High; High premix had higher levels of all vitamins except K3 than the Regular premix), and with or without the addition of the mixture of CX (6 mg/kg) and 25-OH-D3 (0.069 mg/kg). Cherry Valley duck breeders (38-wk-old) were fed with corn-wheat flour-soybean meal-based diets for 8 wk, and then eggs were collected and hatched. Healthy ducklings (equal number of female and male) from each maternal group were randomly selected and received the same commercial starter (1 to 14 d) and grower (15 to 35 d) pellet diet for 35 d. Maternal High vitamin premix increased shank pigmentation (1 d, P = 0.001), BW (1 d, P < 0.001 and 14 d, P = 0.006), BW gain (1 to 14 d, P = 0.008), G:F ratio (1 to 14 d, P = 0.007), superoxide dismutase (SOD; 1 d liver, P = 0.027 and 14 d serum, P = 0.031), and total antioxidant capacity (1 d liver, P < 0.001); and decreased protein carbonyl (14 d serum, P = 0.011) of ducklings. The mixture of CX and 25-OH-D3 increased yolk pigmentation (P < 0.001); increased shank pigmentation (1 d, P < 0.001 and 14 d, P < 0.001), BW (1 d, P < 0.001), feed intake (15-35 d, P = 0.014), SOD (1 d liver, P = 0.032), and tibia ash (14 d, P = 0.010) of ducklings; and decreased malondialdehyde (P < 0.001) and protein carbonyl (P = 0.044) of yolks, and malondialdehyde (14 d serum, P < 0.001) of ducklings. In conclusion, either maternal High vitamin premix or maternal supplementation of the CX and 25-OH-D3 mixture improves growth performance and antioxidant status of ducklings.