The Effect of a Diet Supplemented with Organic Minerals and l-Carnitine on Egg Production and Chemical Composition and on Some Blood Traits of Pheasant Hens (Phasianus colchicus)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Raising and breeding pheasants is becoming more and more popular, both among hunters and consumers of meat and eggs. The nutritional value of these products, as well as the suitability of eggs for reproduction, is determined by the quantity and quality of dietary nutrients, including minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. In the current study, we have examined the combined effect of a partial replacement of Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn inorganic salts with their glycine complex and calcitriol addition, with or without the l-carnitine supplementation. We hypothesized that introducing l-carnitine along with glycine chelates and calcitriol may potentiate the effect of these two nutritional interventions on some reproductive traits, the blood lipid and mineral profile, and the mineral and fatty acid profile of pheasant egg yolk. The proposed nutritional supplementation of the pheasant’s diet contributed to an increase in the number of laid eggs, with a simultaneous decrease in the number of rejected eggs, which is crucial for improving pheasant rearing and positively affected the quality of eggs; therefore, it might be a good strategy for increasing the nutritional reserves of poultry and their reproduction. ABSTRACT: The study aimed to determine the effect of replacing 75% of inorganic calcium, iron, zinc, and copper salts with organic forms (glycine chelates of these elements) with or without the addition of l-carnitine on some reproductive traits and the blood lipid and mineral profile, as well as mineral and fatty acid profile of pheasant egg yolk. The study was performed on three groups of pheasant hens using glycine chelates with calcitriol (group II) or analogical treatment with the addition of l-carnitine at the level of 100 mg/kg of feed (group III) instead of Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn salts (control). The replacement of inorganic forms with glycinates contributed to an increase in the number of laid eggs with a concomitant lower share of rejected eggs. The supplementation of organic forms of minerals improved mineral absorption and bioavailability in blood serum as well as in the egg yolk of experimental groups. Egg yolk fat was characterized by a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids and a favorable ratio of PUFA ω-3/ω-6. The proposed nutritional supplementation of the pheasant’s diet might be a good strategy for increasing the nutritional reserves of poultry and improving their reproduction.