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The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary organic or inorganic selenium (Se) supplementation on laying and hatching performance, egg Se content and liver glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) concentration of eggtype breeders as well as their offspring antioxidant status under 36 h post-hatch feed withdrawal. Two hundred and seventy white egg-type breeders were used. The hens were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments. The basal diet contained no supplemental Se (Control). The four treatment groups consisted of two selenium sources (inorganic and organic, Seinorg and Seorg, respectively) and two selenium levels (0.20 and 0.35 mg Se/kg diet). The total analysed Se concentration in the diets was between 0.137 and 0.138 mg/kg for Control, while it was 0.342 and 0.340 mg/kg for 0.20 Seinorg, 0.339 and 0.351 mg/kg for 0.20 Seorg, 0.485 and 0.489 mg/kg for 0.35 Seinorg, 0.481 and 0.495 mg/kg for 0.35 Seorg from 21 to 40 and 41 to 49 weeks, respectively. There was no effect of diets on laying performance, egg quality, and hatchability. Dietary Se supplementation increased egg Se content compared to Control, being higher in eggs from hens fed Seorg than those from hens fed Seinorg. Liver GSH-Px activity of hens fed 0.35 mg Se/kg was higher than in hens fed 0.20 mg/kg Se. On d of hatch and 36 h post-hatch, residual yolk sac Se content of chicks from hens fed 0.35 mg Se/kg was higher than that of chicks from hens fed 0.20 mg/kg Se. After 36 h post-hatch feed withdrawal, plasma and liver GSH-Px activity of chicks from Se groups were higher than in chicks from the Control. It was concluded that dietary maternal Se would provide a protective mechanism for day-old chicks for coping with stressful situations exposed after hatching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]