IMPACT OF VITAMINS AND SELENIUM ON PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE AND IMMUNITY IN GOLA PIGEON

Abstract

In the growing poultry industry, pigeon farming is an important agribusiness in Bangladesh. According to most pigeon owners, common health issues in pigeons include pigeon pox, Newcastle disease, salmonellosis, and the common cold. An experiment was conducted to estimate the impact of different combinations of vitamins and Selenium (Se) on the production performance and immune response against the Newcastle disease vaccine. A total of 16 pair of Gola pigeon (3 months old) were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups namely; T0 (Control), T1 (Basal diet + Vitamin A, D, E & Se), T2 (Basal diet + Vitamin B-complex), and T3 (Basal diet + Vitamin A, D, E, B-complex & Se) having 4 replications. The treatment groups (T1, T2 and T3) were vaccinated with the Ranikhet disease vaccine and the control group was kept unvaccinated. Performance indices indicated non-significant (P>0.05) differences in final live weight, live weight gain and feed consumption. Statistical analysis revealed non-significant (P>0.05) differences in egg weight values. However, significant (P<0.05) differences were found for egg production, shape index and hatchability in the T1 (23.75), T3 (76.29) and T2 + T3 (87.50) groups respectively. The hemagglutination inhibition titers of the experimental birds were significantly (P<0.05) different and higher individual titer was found in the vitamin A, D, E and Se supplemented T1 group (272). The thymus length and width were the best in group T1, 12.75 and 4.25 respectively with a significant (P<0.05) difference. From the study, it can be concluded that supplementation of vitamin A, D, E and Se combination gave a better humoral immune response against Newcastle disease vaccine, egg production, thymus length and width; supplementation of vitamin B-complex separate supplementation gave only a better response to egg hatchability, and supplementation of vitamin A, D, E, Bcomplex,

and Se combination gave better performances in egg shape index and hatchability.