Effect of dietary supplementation of vanadium in commercial egg-type laying hens

A 56-d experiment was conducted with 32-wk-old Single Comb White Leghorn hens to investigate the infleuence of dietary supplementation of vanadium (V) on performance, hatchability, hatch residue, and excreta moisture. Ammonium metavanadate was added to a corn and soybean meal control diet to supply 20, 40, or 60 mg V/kg diet. A concentration as low as 20 mg V/kg diet caused a decline in 622 interior quality and percentage of total hatch and an increase in excreta moisture. Feeding 40 and 60 mg V/kg diet resulted in a significant increase (P less than or equal to 0.05) in excreta moisture and decreased feed consumption, egg fertility, hatchability, and egg production. Embryo malposition was unaffected by dietary V, but embryonic mortality and unpipped eggs were increased by dietary of 60 mg V/kg diet.