In ovo feeding of l-arginine and selenium nanoparticles influences post-hatch growth, muscle development, antioxidant status, and meat quality in slow-growing chickens.

This study investigated the effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) of l-arginine (L-Arg), selenium nanoparticles (SeNP), and a combination of L-Arg and SeNP on the hatchability, post-hatch growth, muscle development, antioxidant status, and meat quality of slow-growing chickens. On day 18 of incubation, a total of 960 fertilized eggs with similar weights were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups with 4 replicates of 60 eggs each: (1) non-injected control group (Control), (2) injected with 1% of L-Arg (IOF_L-Arg), (3) injected with 0.3 µg/egg of SeNP (IOF_SeNP), and (4), injected with 1% of L-Arg and 0.3 µg/egg of SeNP (IOF_L-Arg + SeNP). A completely randomized design was used. After hatching, 640 mixed-sex chicks were allocated to 4 treatment groups and split into 4 replicate pens (40 birds per pen). All groups of chicks were fed with commercial feed ad libitum until they reached 63 d of age and were subsequently weighed and slaughtered. The results of the present study showed that hatchability was similar among treatments. Final BW or breast muscle yield was not affected (P > 0.05) by IOF treatment. Chickens treated with IOF_L-Arg + SeNP exhibited decreased feed conversion ratio, drip loss, and increased protein content in breast meat (P < 0.05). The IOF_L-Arg + SeNP group exhibited a higher density of breast muscle fibers than the control group (P < 0.05). Overall, in ovo feeding of L-Arg combined with SeNP resulted in improved feed efficiency and enhanced antioxidant capacity at hatch without any adverse effects on chicken hatchability, health, or subsequent growth. Furthermore, meat from chickens in the IOF_L-Arg + SeNP group exhibited a preferable texture with a higher protein content.