Abstract
This experiment was conducted with total 960 brown layers, consisted of 8 treatment to investigate the effects of dietary chromium as chromium picolinate on egg production, egg quality, nutrient utilizability, serum traits and mortality in brown layers. Layers were fed diets with two levels of dietary protein (14% and 16%) and supplemented with 0, 200, 400, 800 ppb/kg of chromium as chromium picolinate, respectively. The highest egg production, egg weight and egg mass were found in 800 ppb chromium picolinate supplementation group with high protein level (16%) (p < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference, layers receiving 400 ppb of chromium picolinate with high protein (16%) represented the lowest broken eggs. The utilization of energy, dry matter and crude protein of 400 ppb chromium picolinate group with low protein level (14%) were significantly higher than those of control or other chromium picolinate group (p < 0.05). 400 ppb chromium picolinate with low protein level (14%) showed the lowest serum glucose concentration. But serum glucose concentrations in all treatments showed no significant differences. Present date revealed that the lowest serum cholesterol concentration of layers was found at 400 ppb chromium picolinate group with high protein level (16%) (p < 0.05). Crude protein content in yolk was significantly higher in eggs of layers received 800 ppb chromium picolinate and the lowest in eggs from layers received 400 ppb chromium picolinate among chromium picolinate levels (p < 0.05). Mortality was remarkably decreased by chromium picolinate supplementation and the lowest mortality value was found in layres receiving 800 ppb chromium picolinate with high protein level.