Effect of Dietary Linoleic Acid, Vitamin E and Ethoxyquin on Fertility of Male Chickens

Abstract

Adult male chickens were fed diets low in linoleic acid, vitamin E and ethoxyquin or high in linoleic acid with or without added vitamin E or ethoxyquin for 25 weeks. Fertilizing capacity and sperm concentration of semen were adversely affected with males fed the high linoleic acid diet without vitamin E or ethoxyquin. The addition of vitamin E or ethoxyquin to the high linoleic acid diet overcame these adverse effects. The low linoleic acid diet without vitamin E and ethoxyquin had no adverse effect on fertilizing capacity and concentration of semen. No differences were evident for males fed any of the diets as far as semen volume, hatchability of fertile eggs, body or testes weights or feed consumption were concerned. During the 26th and 27th weeks increasing the number of sperm inseminated failed to improve fertility of the males fed the diet high in linoleic acid without vitamin E. The results indicate that diets high in linoleic acid but without vitamin E affect fertilizing capacity as well as the number of sperm produced.