- Email: [email protected]
Hematological Response of Different Stocks of Chickens to Iron-Copper Deficient Diet
204
L. B. CRITTENDEN AND B. R. BURMESTER
Witter, R. W., and B. R. Burmester, 1967. Transmission of Marek's disease with oral washings and feces from infected chickens. Proc. Soc. Expt. Biol. Med. 124: 59-62.
Vogt, P. K., and R. Ishizaki, 1965. Reciprocal patterns of genetic resistance to avian tumor viruses in two lines of chickens. Virology, 26: 664-672.
Hematological Response of Different Stocks of Chickens to Iron-Copper Deficient Diet K. W. WASHBURN
(Received for publication June 26, 1968)
T
INDELL et al. (1967) reported that genotype-environmental interactions for body weight, although statistically significant, were relatively unimportant when genetically different stocks were reared under different management and geographical environments. This type of study enables one to obtain information about differences in the effects of the average environment of one location compared to that of another location. Another approach is to create a definable stress environment and then compare the stocks in stress and non-stress environments. Genetic differences between stocks and lines of chickens have been reported for packed erythrocyte volume (Washburn and Smyth, 1968). Slight genetic differences in packed erythrocyte volume values may have little or no effect on a stock as long as certain environmental conditions are not present. However, a bird with slightly decreased packed erythrocyte volume values might be more severely affected by marginal deficiencies University of Goergia, College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, College Station, Athens Journal Paper number 300.
of nutritients necessary for hematopoiesis. If this is true, genotype—environmental interactions involving anemia and diet could become important. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this hypothesis utilizing the response to a marginal deficiency of iron and copper of stocks used in the Southern Regional genotypeenvironment study reported by Tindell etal. (1967). METHODS
Eggs from four stocks; Athens-Canadian randombred (ACRB), Cornell randombred (Cornell), North Carolina Rhode Island Red (NCRIR) and Texas-50Leghorn (Texas-50) were obtained from the Southern Regional Poultry Genetics Laboratory. At hatching the chicks were wing-banded, weighed and randomized into two groups of 40 chicks per stock. All chicks, for a two week period following hatching, were fed the basal skim milk diet (7.0 p.p.m. Fe, 2.5 p.p.m. Cu)to which 100 p.p.m. Fe and 10 p.p.m. Cu was added. The skim milk diet was similar to that described by Hill and Matrone (1961). At the conclusion of this two-week period one group of each stock was con-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 4, 2015
Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30601
205
RESPONSE TO F E - C U DEFICIENCY TABLE 1.—Analysis of variance for packed erythrocyte volume
d.f.
Source Diet (D) Stock (S) Age (A) DXS DXA SXA DXSXA Error Total
M.S.
d.f.
M.S.
1 600.0** 3 505.8** 8 664.6** 3 30.9** 8 128.5** 24 27.5** 7.4 24 6.9 2419 2490
1 2015.9** 3 371.9** 8 499.8** 22.4* 3 8 279.2** 24.8** 24 7.1 24 2153 6.8 2224
**P<.01.
Age and Diet Differences: The %PCV of the groups receiving adequate iron and copper fluctuated between observation periods with a gradual increase to four weeks of age when a sharp decline and leveling off was observed (Figure 1). The %PCV of birds receiving the diet low in iron and copper followed a pattern similar to the group high in iron and copper for the first five weeks, thereafter, there was a TABLE 2.—Comparison of the packed erythrocyte volume differences between trials Trial 1
Trial 2
1.-9 wks. 5-9 wks. 1-9 wks . 5-9 wks.
%
%
%
NCRIR (H) (L)
30.8 29.8 1 30.2
% 30.8 29.2 1.62
31.1 29.6 30.4
30.6 28.0 2.6
ACRB
(H) (L)
31.4 30.9 31.2
30.6 30.1 0.5
32.0 30.1 31.1
31.7 28.3 3.4
Texas-50 (H) (L)
32.9 31.4 32.2
33.0 31.0 2.0
33.2 30.8 32.0
33.4 29.5 3.9
32.7 31.8 32.3
32.4 31.2 1.2
33.3 31.2 32.3
33.3 29.7 3.6
(*) Cornell
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Differences among diets, stocks and ages for packed erythrocyte volume (%PCV) were highly significant in Trial 1 (Table 1 and Table 2).
Trial 2
Trial 1
(H) (L)
xTrial 1 = 31.4 xTrial 2 = 31.4 1
x H = 3 1 .9 x L = :30.9 X H = 3 2 .4 i L = .30.4
Average of stock. Difference between groups receiving diets containing 10, 100 p.p.m. Cu, Fe (H) and 1, 5 p.p.m. Cu, Fe (L). 2
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 4, 2015
tinued on this diet, while the other was provided the basal skim milk diet to which only 5 p.p.m. Fe and 1 p.p.m. Cu were added instead of the previous 100 p.p.m. Fe and 10 p.p.m. Cu. These diets were fed for the 7-week experimental period. The two dietary treatment groups were housed in separate brooder houses with stocks intermingled. Diets were fed ad libitum and distilled water was used throughout the experimental period. A replicate trial was started two weeks after the first trial. Beginning at one week of age and throughout the nine week period, packed erythrocyte volume was determined weekly by the microhematocrit method (Johnson, 1955). Data were analyzed by the least squares method (Harvey, 1960) with each trial analyzed separately. At nine weeks of age the groups in Trial 1, which had been receiving the deficient diet containing 5 p.p.m. Fe and 1 p.p.m. Cu, were fed the basal diet with no added iron or copper. At 11 weeks of age 20 birds from each group of Trial 1 were selected at random for determination of erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin quantity, packed cell volume, mean cell volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. Erythrocyte counts were obtained using an improved Neubauer chamber and the hemoglobin quantity was obtained by the acid hematin method of Denington and Lucas (1955). Mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin concentration were calculated from the erythrocyte count, hemoglobin and packed cell volume data.
206
K. W. WASHBURN
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FIG. 1. Packed erythrocyte volume (PCV) of Athens-Canadian randombred (ACRB), Cornell randombred (Cornell), North Carolina Rhode Island Red (NCRIR) and Texas-50 Leghorn (Texas-50) receiving skim milk diets with 10, 100 p.p.m. Cu, Fe (Hi Fe, Cu) and 1,5 p.p.m. Cu, Fe (Low Fe, Cu) added. (Trial 1)
steady decline to a level below that of the high group. Since the initiation of the dietary deficiency of iron and copper was at two weeks of age and differences between the treatment groups were not evident until five weeks, it is apparent that under conditions of this experiment (dosing with high levels of iron and copper) a somewhat longer period than that observed by other investigators (Hill and Matrone, 1961) was necessary for an observable depressing effect on hematological parameters. In the present experiment, the average depression in %PCV at 9 weeks in the group receiving the diet to which 5 p.p.m. Fe and 1 p.p.m. Cu was added ranged from 6.5 to 10.3% depending on the stock (Figure 1). This magnitude of depression in PCV was less than previously observed by Hill and Matrone (1961) who fed similar diets deficient in iron and copper. Although the birds receiving the diet
with 5 p.p.m. iron and 1 p.p.m. copper for 7 weeks were fed the basal diet with no supplemental iron and copper from 9-11 weeks, there was no appreciable depression of the %PCV. The lack of great differences between the groups receiving the adequate and deficient levels of iron and copper would appear to be due to the recycling of iron (Underwood, 1962) which had been stored in the body during the two-week period in which all birds received a diet containing large amounts of iron and copper. This situation would more nearly simulate marginal deficiencies that might occur naturally. Stock Differences: Duncans multiple range test indicated the %PCV of the North Carolina Rhode Island Red was significantly lower than that of the other stocks. The decreased PCV of the NCRIR stock was consistent throughout the experiment (Figure 1). The %PCV of the Athens-Canadian randombred stock, al-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 4, 2015
28
30
R E S P O N S E TO F E - C U D E F I C I E N C Y
were not detected until approximately 5 weeks, it is best illustrated by the differences after this time. I t would appear from these d a t a t h a t the Texas-50 Leghorn is slightly more responsive to the deficient diet, since in both experiments the differences in P C V of this stock were greater t h a n any other stock. T h e magnitude of the differences between the Texas-50 Leghorn stock and the other stocks were slight. However, the Texas50 Leghorn stock maintained its relative position in b o t h trials, while t h a t of the other stocks fluctuated. Stocks differed in their response to the dietary deficiency of iron and cooper in two ways in Trial 1. First, the rate at which their % P C V was depressed and secondly, the extent to which the % P C V decreased. As shown in Figure 2, the decrease in % P C V of the A C R B stock lagged behind t h a t of the other stocks, b u t was eventually depressed to the same level as the N C R I R and Cornell randombred stock. T h e % P C V of the Texas-50 stock, although decreasing at approximately the same rate as the N C R I R and A C R B , dropped to a much lower level than did the other stocks. I t is clear from this study t h a t a comparatively reduced % PCV, such as t h a t observed in the N C R I R , does not predispose a stock to a greater hematological response when fed an iron-copper deficient diet. I n both trials the reduction in % P C V in stocks which had a higher normal P C V was greater than t h a t observed in the N C R I R stock. I t is generally accepted t h a t a deficiency of iron and cooper results in a microcytic, hypochromic anemia (Maynard and Loosli, 1956). The percent of hemoglobin in the blood is reduced to a greater extent t h a n the number of cells, which m a y show only a slight reduction. T h e mean corpuscular hemoglobin is con-
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though significantly higher t h a n t h a t observed for the N C R I R , was significantly lower than either the Texas-50 or the Cornell randombred Leghorns which were not significantly different. A depression of % P C V similar to t h a t observed in the N C R I R and to a lesser extent in the A C R B has been reported b y Washburn and Smyth (1968) to occur in several Gold Columbian stocks. This association between the Co gene (Smyth and Somes, 1965) and anemia could also be responsible for the lower P C V of the A C R B stock. T h e A C R B , although phenotypically white due to the presence of c, would be expected to have some Columbian genes segregating in the population. T h e stock originally used in developing this population included three synthetic broiler-type populations which were of wide genetic backgrounds and included several of the common broiler-type breeds (Hess, 1962). T h e differences between stocks in Trial 2 for P C V over the 9 week period were almost identical to those observed for Trial 1 (Table 2). Interactions: I n addition to the highly significant differences between ages, stocks and diets, there were also highly significant interactions between the age-diet component and the genotype-diet component. The interaction between age and diet is a reflection of the fact t h a t the group fed the deficient diet did not respond until 5 weeks of age. T h e differences between the four stocks, in their hematological response to the dietary deficiency of iron and copper, were significant in both experiments (Table 1). The differential response is presented in Table 2 as the difference between the group receiving the diet containing 10 p.p.m. Cu and 100 p.p.m. Fe (H) and those receiving the diet containing 1 p.p.m. Cu and 5 p.p.m. Fe (L). Since the hematological effects of the deficiency
207
208
K. W. WASHBURN
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FIG. 2. Differences in PCV of controls receiving the diet containing 10, 100 p.p.m. Cu, Fe and those receiving the diet containing 1, 5 p.p.m. Cu, Fe. ACRB = Athens-Canadian randombred; Cornell = Cornell randombred; N C R I R = N o r t h Carolina Rhode Island Red; Texas 50=Texas-50 Leghorn.
siderably below normal and there is a reduction in mean corpuscular volume. The hematological data obtained at 11 weeks for the stocks fed the diets con-
SUMMARY
An experiment was conducted to determine the differences between several stocks of chickens in their response to marginal deficiencies of iron and copper produced by feeding a skim milk diet. All birds received the diet containing 10 p.p.m. Cu, 100 p.p.m. Fe for the first two weeks after hatching. When a diet containing 1 p.p.m. Cu, 5 p.p.m. Cu was
TABLE 3.—Hematological parameters for various stock fed skim milk diets containing adequate and deficient levels of iron and copper {Trial 1) CNTS (million)
PCV (%)
Hg (gms.)
MCV Gz.)
Stock H Cornell ACRB NCRIR Texas-50 X
32.4 31.5 30.7 32.3 31.7"
L 29.8 29.0 28.7 30.6 29.5"
x 1
31.1" 30.3 b 29.7" 31.4°
H
L
x
H
3.17 3.22 3.14 3.31 3.21"
3.11 3.00 2.90 3.21 3.05"
3.14" 3.11" 3.02" 3.26"
104 99.5 100.0 99.4 100.5"
L
x
96.8 100.4" 98.5 99.0" 99.8 99.8" 97.5 98.5" 98.0"
H
L
x
10.7 10.1 10.4*° 10.3 9.8 10.1" b 10.3 9.4 9.9" 11.1 10.3 10.7° b 10.6" 9.9
H = diet containing 20, 100 p.p.m. Cu, Fe. L-diet containing 1, 5 p.p.m. Cu, Fe. CNTS=red blood cell counts (million); H g = hemoglobin gm./lOO cc. blood; PCV= packed erythrocyte volume (%); MCV=mean corpuscular volume (/».). 1 Any two means in an average column with the same superscript were not significantly different.
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u Q.
taining the adequate and deficient levels of iron and copper are summarized in Table 3. The PCV of birds receiving the diet containing the deficient amounts of iron and copper was reduced as had been observed for the 1-9 week period. Also, as expected, erythrocyte counts, mean cell volume and hemoglobin concentration were reduced. However, differences between diets for erythrocyte counts and mean cell volume were not significant. Differences among stocks in % PCV determined at 11 weeks were significant and followed the same trends for the 1-9 week period. Although differences among stocks were not significant for either erythrocyte counts or mean corpuscular volume, it is apparent from observation of these means (Table 3) that the PCV of the NCRIR and ACRB stocks were lower because of a reduced cell number and not size.
R E S P O N S E TO F E - C U
fed a m i l d a n e m i a r e s u l t e d in all s t o c k s . T h e r e s u l t s of t h i s e x p e r i m e n t i n d i c a t e the Texas-50 Leghorns were slightly m o r e r e s p o n s i v e t o t h e effects of t h e i r o n - c o p p e r deficiency t h a n t h e o t h e r s t o c k s . S i n c e t h e p a c k e d cell v o l u m e of t h i s s t o c k r e ceiving a d e q u a t e iron a n d copper was higher t h a n the A C R B and N C R I R w h i c h w e r e n o t as s e v e r e l y affected b y t h e deficiency, t h e r e w o u l d a p p e a r t o b e l i t t l e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n n o r m a l P C V levels a n d t h e effects of e x p e r i m e n t a l l y i n d u c e d i r o n a n d c o p p e r deficiences.
209
REFERENCES Denington, E. M., and A. M. Lucas, 1955. Blood technics for chickens. Poultry Sci. 34: 360-368. Harvey, W. R., 1960. Least squares analysis of data with unequal subclass numbers. U.S.D.A. Publication ARS-20-8. Hess, C. W., 1962. Randombred populations of the Southern Regional Breeding Project. World's Poultry Sci. J. 18:147-152. Hill, C. H., and G. Matrone, 1961. Studies on copper and iron deficiencies in growing chickens. J. Nutrition, 73: 425-431. Johnson, P. M., 1955. Hematocrit values for the chick embryo at various ages. Am. Physiol. 180: 361-363. Maynard, L. A., and J. K. Loosli, 1956. Animal Nutrition. Fourth Ed. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, N. Y. Smyth, J. R., Jr., and R. G. Somes, Jr., 1965. A new gene determining the Columbian feather pattern in the fowl. J. Hered. 56: 151-156. Tindell, L. D., C. H. Moore, N. R. Gyles, W. A. Johnson, J. L. Dressen, G. A. Martin and P. B. Siegel, 1967. Genotype-environment interactions in broiler stocks of chickens / . The importance of stock by location and stock by trial interactions. Poultry Sci. 66: 603-611. Underwood, E. J. 1962. Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition. 2nd edition. Academic Press, Inc. New York, N. Y. Washburn, K. W., and J. R. Smyth, Jr., 1968. Hematology of an inherited anemia in the domestic fowl. 47: 1406-1411
NEWS AND NOTES (Continued from page 181) The conference will be held at the Hotel President. It immediately precedes the two-day Poultry Breeders of America Convention which will be held on May 8-9. The Program Committee for the Roundtable sessions is Dr. George Godfrey, Honegger Farms Co., Forrest, Illinois; Dr. Mel Hogsett, Heisdorf & Nelson, Redmond, Washington, and Dr. Peter Hunton, Shaver Poultry Breeding Farm, Gait, Ontario, Canada. GEORGIA NOTES Six University of Georgia poultry science students received recognition from the Georgia Poultry Federation at an awards program November 21st.
The purpose of the awards is to honor outstanding students in the Department of Poultry Science, encourage students to strive for greater accomplishment and achievement and emphasize industry interest in the Department and the opportunities for poultry students. Receiving the outstanding freshman award was Edwin J. Ingram. The sophomore winner was Aubrey J. Strickland Jr. Terry J. Smith was the junior winner; Larry L. Brewer, senior recipient; Farid K. R. Stino, M.S. thesis award winner; and Dr. Wilfred T. Springer, PhD. thesis award winner. The Georgia Poultry Improvement Association has given the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goergia, $138,849 for research on avian leukosis.
(Continued on page 216)
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H i g h l y s i g n i f i c a n t differences in p a c k e d erythrocyte volume (PCV) were found b e t w e e n s t o c k s , r e g a r d l e s s of d i e t a r y r e g i m e . T h e P C V of t h e N o r t h C a r o l i n a R h o d e I s l a n d R e d ( N C R I R ) w a s signifi c a n t l y l o w e r t h a n t h a t o b s e r v e d for a n y of t h e o t h e r s t o c k s . T h e P C V of t h e Athens-Canadian randombreds, although s i g n i f i c a n t l y h i g h e r t h a n t h a t of t h e N C R I R , was significantly lower t h a n e i t h e r t h e T e x a s - 5 0 or t h e C o r n e l l r a n d o m b r e d L e g h o r n s w h i c h d i d n o t differ from each other. A relationship between the major Columbian restriction gene ( C o ) a n d a n e m i a is s u g g e s t e d .
DEFICIENCY
L. B. CRITTENDEN AND B. R. BURMESTER
Witter, R. W., and B. R. Burmester, 1967. Transmission of Marek's disease with oral washings and feces from infected chickens. Proc. Soc. Expt. Biol. Med. 124: 59-62.
Vogt, P. K., and R. Ishizaki, 1965. Reciprocal patterns of genetic resistance to avian tumor viruses in two lines of chickens. Virology, 26: 664-672.
Hematological Response of Different Stocks of Chickens to Iron-Copper Deficient Diet K. W. WASHBURN
(Received for publication June 26, 1968)
T
INDELL et al. (1967) reported that genotype-environmental interactions for body weight, although statistically significant, were relatively unimportant when genetically different stocks were reared under different management and geographical environments. This type of study enables one to obtain information about differences in the effects of the average environment of one location compared to that of another location. Another approach is to create a definable stress environment and then compare the stocks in stress and non-stress environments. Genetic differences between stocks and lines of chickens have been reported for packed erythrocyte volume (Washburn and Smyth, 1968). Slight genetic differences in packed erythrocyte volume values may have little or no effect on a stock as long as certain environmental conditions are not present. However, a bird with slightly decreased packed erythrocyte volume values might be more severely affected by marginal deficiencies University of Goergia, College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, College Station, Athens Journal Paper number 300.
of nutritients necessary for hematopoiesis. If this is true, genotype—environmental interactions involving anemia and diet could become important. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this hypothesis utilizing the response to a marginal deficiency of iron and copper of stocks used in the Southern Regional genotypeenvironment study reported by Tindell etal. (1967). METHODS
Eggs from four stocks; Athens-Canadian randombred (ACRB), Cornell randombred (Cornell), North Carolina Rhode Island Red (NCRIR) and Texas-50Leghorn (Texas-50) were obtained from the Southern Regional Poultry Genetics Laboratory. At hatching the chicks were wing-banded, weighed and randomized into two groups of 40 chicks per stock. All chicks, for a two week period following hatching, were fed the basal skim milk diet (7.0 p.p.m. Fe, 2.5 p.p.m. Cu)to which 100 p.p.m. Fe and 10 p.p.m. Cu was added. The skim milk diet was similar to that described by Hill and Matrone (1961). At the conclusion of this two-week period one group of each stock was con-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 4, 2015
Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30601
205
RESPONSE TO F E - C U DEFICIENCY TABLE 1.—Analysis of variance for packed erythrocyte volume
d.f.
Source Diet (D) Stock (S) Age (A) DXS DXA SXA DXSXA Error Total
M.S.
d.f.
M.S.
1 600.0** 3 505.8** 8 664.6** 3 30.9** 8 128.5** 24 27.5** 7.4 24 6.9 2419 2490
1 2015.9** 3 371.9** 8 499.8** 22.4* 3 8 279.2** 24.8** 24 7.1 24 2153 6.8 2224
**P<.01.
Age and Diet Differences: The %PCV of the groups receiving adequate iron and copper fluctuated between observation periods with a gradual increase to four weeks of age when a sharp decline and leveling off was observed (Figure 1). The %PCV of birds receiving the diet low in iron and copper followed a pattern similar to the group high in iron and copper for the first five weeks, thereafter, there was a TABLE 2.—Comparison of the packed erythrocyte volume differences between trials Trial 1
Trial 2
1.-9 wks. 5-9 wks. 1-9 wks . 5-9 wks.
%
%
%
NCRIR (H) (L)
30.8 29.8 1 30.2
% 30.8 29.2 1.62
31.1 29.6 30.4
30.6 28.0 2.6
ACRB
(H) (L)
31.4 30.9 31.2
30.6 30.1 0.5
32.0 30.1 31.1
31.7 28.3 3.4
Texas-50 (H) (L)
32.9 31.4 32.2
33.0 31.0 2.0
33.2 30.8 32.0
33.4 29.5 3.9
32.7 31.8 32.3
32.4 31.2 1.2
33.3 31.2 32.3
33.3 29.7 3.6
(*) Cornell
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Differences among diets, stocks and ages for packed erythrocyte volume (%PCV) were highly significant in Trial 1 (Table 1 and Table 2).
Trial 2
Trial 1
(H) (L)
xTrial 1 = 31.4 xTrial 2 = 31.4 1
x H = 3 1 .9 x L = :30.9 X H = 3 2 .4 i L = .30.4
Average of stock. Difference between groups receiving diets containing 10, 100 p.p.m. Cu, Fe (H) and 1, 5 p.p.m. Cu, Fe (L). 2
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 4, 2015
tinued on this diet, while the other was provided the basal skim milk diet to which only 5 p.p.m. Fe and 1 p.p.m. Cu were added instead of the previous 100 p.p.m. Fe and 10 p.p.m. Cu. These diets were fed for the 7-week experimental period. The two dietary treatment groups were housed in separate brooder houses with stocks intermingled. Diets were fed ad libitum and distilled water was used throughout the experimental period. A replicate trial was started two weeks after the first trial. Beginning at one week of age and throughout the nine week period, packed erythrocyte volume was determined weekly by the microhematocrit method (Johnson, 1955). Data were analyzed by the least squares method (Harvey, 1960) with each trial analyzed separately. At nine weeks of age the groups in Trial 1, which had been receiving the deficient diet containing 5 p.p.m. Fe and 1 p.p.m. Cu, were fed the basal diet with no added iron or copper. At 11 weeks of age 20 birds from each group of Trial 1 were selected at random for determination of erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin quantity, packed cell volume, mean cell volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. Erythrocyte counts were obtained using an improved Neubauer chamber and the hemoglobin quantity was obtained by the acid hematin method of Denington and Lucas (1955). Mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin concentration were calculated from the erythrocyte count, hemoglobin and packed cell volume data.
206
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FIG. 1. Packed erythrocyte volume (PCV) of Athens-Canadian randombred (ACRB), Cornell randombred (Cornell), North Carolina Rhode Island Red (NCRIR) and Texas-50 Leghorn (Texas-50) receiving skim milk diets with 10, 100 p.p.m. Cu, Fe (Hi Fe, Cu) and 1,5 p.p.m. Cu, Fe (Low Fe, Cu) added. (Trial 1)
steady decline to a level below that of the high group. Since the initiation of the dietary deficiency of iron and copper was at two weeks of age and differences between the treatment groups were not evident until five weeks, it is apparent that under conditions of this experiment (dosing with high levels of iron and copper) a somewhat longer period than that observed by other investigators (Hill and Matrone, 1961) was necessary for an observable depressing effect on hematological parameters. In the present experiment, the average depression in %PCV at 9 weeks in the group receiving the diet to which 5 p.p.m. Fe and 1 p.p.m. Cu was added ranged from 6.5 to 10.3% depending on the stock (Figure 1). This magnitude of depression in PCV was less than previously observed by Hill and Matrone (1961) who fed similar diets deficient in iron and copper. Although the birds receiving the diet
with 5 p.p.m. iron and 1 p.p.m. copper for 7 weeks were fed the basal diet with no supplemental iron and copper from 9-11 weeks, there was no appreciable depression of the %PCV. The lack of great differences between the groups receiving the adequate and deficient levels of iron and copper would appear to be due to the recycling of iron (Underwood, 1962) which had been stored in the body during the two-week period in which all birds received a diet containing large amounts of iron and copper. This situation would more nearly simulate marginal deficiencies that might occur naturally. Stock Differences: Duncans multiple range test indicated the %PCV of the North Carolina Rhode Island Red was significantly lower than that of the other stocks. The decreased PCV of the NCRIR stock was consistent throughout the experiment (Figure 1). The %PCV of the Athens-Canadian randombred stock, al-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 4, 2015
28
30
R E S P O N S E TO F E - C U D E F I C I E N C Y
were not detected until approximately 5 weeks, it is best illustrated by the differences after this time. I t would appear from these d a t a t h a t the Texas-50 Leghorn is slightly more responsive to the deficient diet, since in both experiments the differences in P C V of this stock were greater t h a n any other stock. T h e magnitude of the differences between the Texas-50 Leghorn stock and the other stocks were slight. However, the Texas50 Leghorn stock maintained its relative position in b o t h trials, while t h a t of the other stocks fluctuated. Stocks differed in their response to the dietary deficiency of iron and cooper in two ways in Trial 1. First, the rate at which their % P C V was depressed and secondly, the extent to which the % P C V decreased. As shown in Figure 2, the decrease in % P C V of the A C R B stock lagged behind t h a t of the other stocks, b u t was eventually depressed to the same level as the N C R I R and Cornell randombred stock. T h e % P C V of the Texas-50 stock, although decreasing at approximately the same rate as the N C R I R and A C R B , dropped to a much lower level than did the other stocks. I t is clear from this study t h a t a comparatively reduced % PCV, such as t h a t observed in the N C R I R , does not predispose a stock to a greater hematological response when fed an iron-copper deficient diet. I n both trials the reduction in % P C V in stocks which had a higher normal P C V was greater than t h a t observed in the N C R I R stock. I t is generally accepted t h a t a deficiency of iron and cooper results in a microcytic, hypochromic anemia (Maynard and Loosli, 1956). The percent of hemoglobin in the blood is reduced to a greater extent t h a n the number of cells, which m a y show only a slight reduction. T h e mean corpuscular hemoglobin is con-
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though significantly higher t h a n t h a t observed for the N C R I R , was significantly lower than either the Texas-50 or the Cornell randombred Leghorns which were not significantly different. A depression of % P C V similar to t h a t observed in the N C R I R and to a lesser extent in the A C R B has been reported b y Washburn and Smyth (1968) to occur in several Gold Columbian stocks. This association between the Co gene (Smyth and Somes, 1965) and anemia could also be responsible for the lower P C V of the A C R B stock. T h e A C R B , although phenotypically white due to the presence of c, would be expected to have some Columbian genes segregating in the population. T h e stock originally used in developing this population included three synthetic broiler-type populations which were of wide genetic backgrounds and included several of the common broiler-type breeds (Hess, 1962). T h e differences between stocks in Trial 2 for P C V over the 9 week period were almost identical to those observed for Trial 1 (Table 2). Interactions: I n addition to the highly significant differences between ages, stocks and diets, there were also highly significant interactions between the age-diet component and the genotype-diet component. The interaction between age and diet is a reflection of the fact t h a t the group fed the deficient diet did not respond until 5 weeks of age. T h e differences between the four stocks, in their hematological response to the dietary deficiency of iron and copper, were significant in both experiments (Table 1). The differential response is presented in Table 2 as the difference between the group receiving the diet containing 10 p.p.m. Cu and 100 p.p.m. Fe (H) and those receiving the diet containing 1 p.p.m. Cu and 5 p.p.m. Fe (L). Since the hematological effects of the deficiency
207
208
K. W. WASHBURN
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3
+
2
ACRB
CORNELL • • NCRIR o ° TEXAS 50 • — •
\\
(J +1 z
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on o u u. U. - 1 Q > -2
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FIG. 2. Differences in PCV of controls receiving the diet containing 10, 100 p.p.m. Cu, Fe and those receiving the diet containing 1, 5 p.p.m. Cu, Fe. ACRB = Athens-Canadian randombred; Cornell = Cornell randombred; N C R I R = N o r t h Carolina Rhode Island Red; Texas 50=Texas-50 Leghorn.
siderably below normal and there is a reduction in mean corpuscular volume. The hematological data obtained at 11 weeks for the stocks fed the diets con-
SUMMARY
An experiment was conducted to determine the differences between several stocks of chickens in their response to marginal deficiencies of iron and copper produced by feeding a skim milk diet. All birds received the diet containing 10 p.p.m. Cu, 100 p.p.m. Fe for the first two weeks after hatching. When a diet containing 1 p.p.m. Cu, 5 p.p.m. Cu was
TABLE 3.—Hematological parameters for various stock fed skim milk diets containing adequate and deficient levels of iron and copper {Trial 1) CNTS (million)
PCV (%)
Hg (gms.)
MCV Gz.)
Stock H Cornell ACRB NCRIR Texas-50 X
32.4 31.5 30.7 32.3 31.7"
L 29.8 29.0 28.7 30.6 29.5"
x 1
31.1" 30.3 b 29.7" 31.4°
H
L
x
H
3.17 3.22 3.14 3.31 3.21"
3.11 3.00 2.90 3.21 3.05"
3.14" 3.11" 3.02" 3.26"
104 99.5 100.0 99.4 100.5"
L
x
96.8 100.4" 98.5 99.0" 99.8 99.8" 97.5 98.5" 98.0"
H
L
x
10.7 10.1 10.4*° 10.3 9.8 10.1" b 10.3 9.4 9.9" 11.1 10.3 10.7° b 10.6" 9.9
H = diet containing 20, 100 p.p.m. Cu, Fe. L-diet containing 1, 5 p.p.m. Cu, Fe. CNTS=red blood cell counts (million); H g = hemoglobin gm./lOO cc. blood; PCV= packed erythrocyte volume (%); MCV=mean corpuscular volume (/».). 1 Any two means in an average column with the same superscript were not significantly different.
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u Q.
taining the adequate and deficient levels of iron and copper are summarized in Table 3. The PCV of birds receiving the diet containing the deficient amounts of iron and copper was reduced as had been observed for the 1-9 week period. Also, as expected, erythrocyte counts, mean cell volume and hemoglobin concentration were reduced. However, differences between diets for erythrocyte counts and mean cell volume were not significant. Differences among stocks in % PCV determined at 11 weeks were significant and followed the same trends for the 1-9 week period. Although differences among stocks were not significant for either erythrocyte counts or mean corpuscular volume, it is apparent from observation of these means (Table 3) that the PCV of the NCRIR and ACRB stocks were lower because of a reduced cell number and not size.
R E S P O N S E TO F E - C U
fed a m i l d a n e m i a r e s u l t e d in all s t o c k s . T h e r e s u l t s of t h i s e x p e r i m e n t i n d i c a t e the Texas-50 Leghorns were slightly m o r e r e s p o n s i v e t o t h e effects of t h e i r o n - c o p p e r deficiency t h a n t h e o t h e r s t o c k s . S i n c e t h e p a c k e d cell v o l u m e of t h i s s t o c k r e ceiving a d e q u a t e iron a n d copper was higher t h a n the A C R B and N C R I R w h i c h w e r e n o t as s e v e r e l y affected b y t h e deficiency, t h e r e w o u l d a p p e a r t o b e l i t t l e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n n o r m a l P C V levels a n d t h e effects of e x p e r i m e n t a l l y i n d u c e d i r o n a n d c o p p e r deficiences.
209
REFERENCES Denington, E. M., and A. M. Lucas, 1955. Blood technics for chickens. Poultry Sci. 34: 360-368. Harvey, W. R., 1960. Least squares analysis of data with unequal subclass numbers. U.S.D.A. Publication ARS-20-8. Hess, C. W., 1962. Randombred populations of the Southern Regional Breeding Project. World's Poultry Sci. J. 18:147-152. Hill, C. H., and G. Matrone, 1961. Studies on copper and iron deficiencies in growing chickens. J. Nutrition, 73: 425-431. Johnson, P. M., 1955. Hematocrit values for the chick embryo at various ages. Am. Physiol. 180: 361-363. Maynard, L. A., and J. K. Loosli, 1956. Animal Nutrition. Fourth Ed. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, N. Y. Smyth, J. R., Jr., and R. G. Somes, Jr., 1965. A new gene determining the Columbian feather pattern in the fowl. J. Hered. 56: 151-156. Tindell, L. D., C. H. Moore, N. R. Gyles, W. A. Johnson, J. L. Dressen, G. A. Martin and P. B. Siegel, 1967. Genotype-environment interactions in broiler stocks of chickens / . The importance of stock by location and stock by trial interactions. Poultry Sci. 66: 603-611. Underwood, E. J. 1962. Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition. 2nd edition. Academic Press, Inc. New York, N. Y. Washburn, K. W., and J. R. Smyth, Jr., 1968. Hematology of an inherited anemia in the domestic fowl. 47: 1406-1411
NEWS AND NOTES (Continued from page 181) The conference will be held at the Hotel President. It immediately precedes the two-day Poultry Breeders of America Convention which will be held on May 8-9. The Program Committee for the Roundtable sessions is Dr. George Godfrey, Honegger Farms Co., Forrest, Illinois; Dr. Mel Hogsett, Heisdorf & Nelson, Redmond, Washington, and Dr. Peter Hunton, Shaver Poultry Breeding Farm, Gait, Ontario, Canada. GEORGIA NOTES Six University of Georgia poultry science students received recognition from the Georgia Poultry Federation at an awards program November 21st.
The purpose of the awards is to honor outstanding students in the Department of Poultry Science, encourage students to strive for greater accomplishment and achievement and emphasize industry interest in the Department and the opportunities for poultry students. Receiving the outstanding freshman award was Edwin J. Ingram. The sophomore winner was Aubrey J. Strickland Jr. Terry J. Smith was the junior winner; Larry L. Brewer, senior recipient; Farid K. R. Stino, M.S. thesis award winner; and Dr. Wilfred T. Springer, PhD. thesis award winner. The Georgia Poultry Improvement Association has given the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Goergia, $138,849 for research on avian leukosis.
(Continued on page 216)
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H i g h l y s i g n i f i c a n t differences in p a c k e d erythrocyte volume (PCV) were found b e t w e e n s t o c k s , r e g a r d l e s s of d i e t a r y r e g i m e . T h e P C V of t h e N o r t h C a r o l i n a R h o d e I s l a n d R e d ( N C R I R ) w a s signifi c a n t l y l o w e r t h a n t h a t o b s e r v e d for a n y of t h e o t h e r s t o c k s . T h e P C V of t h e Athens-Canadian randombreds, although s i g n i f i c a n t l y h i g h e r t h a n t h a t of t h e N C R I R , was significantly lower t h a n e i t h e r t h e T e x a s - 5 0 or t h e C o r n e l l r a n d o m b r e d L e g h o r n s w h i c h d i d n o t differ from each other. A relationship between the major Columbian restriction gene ( C o ) a n d a n e m i a is s u g g e s t e d .
DEFICIENCY