This work was carried out to study the effect of dietary grape pomace and vit.E
supplementation on some productive, reproductive and physiological performance traits of aged
male and female Inshas strain chickens. A total number of 198 Inshas strain birds (180 laying
hens and 18 cocks) 48-wks-old were used in this experiment up to 60 wks of age. All birds were
individually weighed and randomly divided into 6 equal experimental groups (30 laying hens
and 3 cocks of each) with three replicates (10 laying hens and 1 cock each) with nearly similar
average initial live body weight of all groups. The 1st group was fed the basal diet without
supplementation but the formula of diet contained 15 mg vit.E/kg diet (control) according to
NRC, (1994), while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th and 5th groups were fed on the basal diet supplemented
with 1,2,3 and 4% grape pomace respectively and the 6 th group was fed the basal diet
supplemented with 150 mg vit.E/ kg diet. The results showed that, values of levels 3 and 4%
grape pomace were better than values of vit. E for feed conversion, egg number, egg production
percentage, egg mass, plasma superoxide dismutase, plasma glutathione peroxidase and plasma
testosterone and the values had significant differences (P≤0.05) for the level of 4% grape
pomace only compared to vit. E group. In general, the highest level of grape pomace (T5)
exhibited the best values in all semen physical characteristics, fertility and hatchability traits
studied, with significant (P≤0.05) differences compared to vit. E (T6) and control (T1) groups
for traits sperm motility, live sperm percentage, sperm concentration, total sperm per ejaculate,
total live sperm per ejaculate, total abnormal sperm per ejaculate, fertility and hatchability
percentage of both total and fertile eggs and significant (P≤0.05) differences compared to
control group only in ejaculate volume and abnormal sperm percentage. On the basis of these
findings, we concluded a potential use of 4% grape pomace (natural source of antioxidant) as
alternative to vit. E (synthetic source of antioxidant) in diets of male and female aged birds of
Inshas strain.