- Email: [email protected]
Relation of Serum Vitamin A Activity Levels of Hens to Reserves in Their Progeny1
T A L L O W AND CALCIUM UTILIZATION
Pepper, W. F., S. J. Slinger and I. Motzok, 1955. The effect of animal fat on the calcium and phosphorus requirements of the chicks. Poultry Sci. 34: 1216. Romanoff, A. L., and A. J. Romanoff, 1949. The Avian Egg. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. Steggerda, F. R., and H. H. Mitchell, 1951. The calcium balance of adult human subjects on high- and low-fat (butter) diets. J. Nutrition, 45: 201-211. Sturkie, P. D., 1954. Avian Physiology. Comstock Pub. Co., Ithaca, N. Y. Tyler, C , and F. H. Geake, 1953. Studies on egg shells. III. Some physical and chemical characteristics of the egg shells of domestic hens. J. Sci. Food Agr. 12:587-596.
Relation of Serum Vitamin A Activity Levels of Hens to Reserves in Their Progeny 1 R O B E R T L. S Q U I B B
Disease and Environmental Stress Laboratories, Rutgers, the Stale University, New Brunswicji, New Jersey (Received for publication October 31, 1960)
T
H E physiology of vitamin A activity storage in the chick has been studied by Rubin and Bird (1941). During the period of development, reserves are accumulated in the egg via the blood stream of the hen and are utilized in p a r t by the growing embryo. Prior to hatching, excess yolk is drawn into the body cavity where it is absorbed from the sac over a 10-day period (Heywang, 1940). Bearse and Miller (1937) and Baumann et al. (1939) have correlated vitamin A reserves of the newborn chick to the content of this essential in the hen's diet.
The present studies were initiated to evaluate parental vitamin A stores in the chick, and to establish the relationship of the vitamin A activity of the hen's serum to these reserves. Variations between and 1 Paper of the Journal Series, Rutgers, the State University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
within hens in transfer of vitamin A activity to the chick were observed. METHODS AND RESULTS Experiment 1.—Estimation of Parental Vitamin A Activity Reserves of Chicks. Vitamin A and total carotenoids transferred by the hen to the chick via the egg were estimated by determining the content of these nutrients in the sera, livers and yolk sacs of 25 newly hatched White Leghorn chicks obtained from a local hatchery. The chicks were from a breeder flock fed a diet containing a minimum of 3,000 IU's of vitamin A per pound of feed. The birds were weighed and bled by heart puncture, then sacrificed and the yolk sacs and livers removed and weighed. Vitamin A and total carotenoids were determined by the method of Bessey et al. (1946).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
three levels of fat intake on calcium metabolism. J. Am. Dietet. Assoc. 29: 1010-1013. Hochreich, H. J., C. R. Douglas, I. H. Kidd and R. H. Harms, 1958. The effect of dietary protein and energy levels upon production of Single Comb White Leghorn hens. Poultry Sci. 37: 949953. Jones, J. H., 1940. The influence of fat on calcium and phosphorus metabolism. J. Nutrition, 20: 367-376. Mueller, W. J., 1959. The effect of environmental temperature and humidity on the calcium balance and serum calcium of laying pullets. Poultry Sci. 38: 1296-1301. Patton, J., and W. Reeder, 1956. New indicator for titration of calcium with (ethylenedinitrilo) tetraacetate. Anal. Chem. 28: 1026-1028.
1197
1198
R. L. S Q U I B B
TABLE 1.—Experiment 1: Vitamin A activity reserves of the newly hatched chick
1
40 + 0.8' 4.9 + 0.3 1.1+0.01 49.6 + 3.9 1989 + 190 48.1+2.2 306 + 18.8 10.4 + 0.5 30 + 3.6
Standard error.
As shown in Table 1, yolk sacs averaged 12.3% of the body weight of the bird and contained a total of 48.1 y of vitamin A and 306 7 of carotenoids. Serum contained 49.6 7 % vitamin A and 1989 y% of total carotenoids. Livers averaged 2 . 5 % of body weight and contained a total of 10.4 7 of vitamin A and 30 y of total carotenoids. Experiment 2.— Utilization of Parental Vitamin A Reserves by the Chick. In order to estimate the utilization of parental vitamin A reserves by the chick, as measured by rate of mortality and serum vitamin A and total carotenoids, 500 day-old White Leghorn cockerels from the previously described breeder flock were put on a vitamin A deficient ration (Squibb and Veros, 1961) for a period of 28 days. The chicks were housed in all-wire batteries and received feed and water ad libitum. Representative numbers of chicks were removed from the group at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days following the start of the experiment in order to estimate serum vitamin A activity levels of the remaining birds. These chicks, totalling 150, were discarded following bleeding by heart puncture. The sera were analyzed for vitamin A and total carotenoids. I n Figure 1, chick mortality, sera vitamin A and total carotenoid levels were plotted against time. The d a t a of this figure show that approximately 18 y
Experiments 3 and 4.—Transfer of Vitamin A Activity from the Hen to the Chick. D a t a related to the transfer of vitamin A from the hen to the chick were observed in two experiments. Procedures common to both experiments consisted of first estimating the blood levels of vitamin A activity in contact with the egg during and at the end of its development within the hen. This was accomplished b y bleeding each hen from a wing vein 10 days prior to and following a 6-day egg collection period. All eggs, identified as to dam and date laid, were pedigree hatched. Immediately following hatching, chicks were weighed, then bled by heart puncture and sacrificed. Livers and yolk sacs were removed and weighed and vitamin A and total carotenoids determined on the sera, livers and yolk sacs. A flock of 40 White Leghorn Cornell randombred hens, 8 months of age with a history of a borderline vitamin A deficiency, was selected for experiment 3. The birds were housed with 6 White Leghorn cocks in a floor pen. A total of 130 eggs were collected from these birds during the 6-day collection period. Only 47 weak, unthrifty chicks were hatched from these
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
Body weight, gm. Yolk sac weight, gm. Liver weight, gm. Serum vitamin A, y% Serum total carotenoids, y% Yolk sac vitamin A, total y Yolk sac carotenoids, total y Liver vitamin A, total y Liver carotenoids, total y
of total carotenoids per ml. of serum were reduced to 4 7 / m l . and serum vitamin A levels of 0.5 7 / m l . to 0.3 7 / m l . within 7 days following hatching. From the 7th to the 28th day the rate of reduction of serum carotenoids was not as precipitous. On the other hand, the serum vitamin A levels were reduced at an even rate until the 16th day and then levelled off. Mortality from vitamin A deficiency started on the 9th day when serum carotenoids averaged 3 7 / m l . and vitamin A 0.27 7 / m l . in the living birds; it rose sharply at the end of the 17th day when total carotenoids in the surviving birds had been reduced to 0.75 7 / m l . and vitamin A to .06 7 / m l .
SERUM VITAMIN A L E V E L S
eggs. D a t a on the vitamin A and total carotenoid levels of the sera, livers and yolk sacs of the chicks and on the sera of the hens are presented in Table 2. The borderline deficiency of vitamin A in the breeder flock was confirmed by the low fertility and hatchability of the eggs set,
1199
and by comparison of the vitamin A and total carotenoid levels of the sera, livers and yolk sacs of these chicks with those obtained from a well-fed flock (Table 1). D a t a of Table 2 indicate a large variation between hens with respect to sera levels of vitamin A and total carotenoids.
V I T A M I N A CURVE CAROTENE CURVE
X
M O R T A L I T Y CURVE
A G E I N DAYS
FIG. 1, Experiment 2. Serum total carotenoids and vitamin A levels plotted against the rate of mortality of White Leghorn chicks fed a vitamin A deficient ration.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
A ©
7.6
19.7
9.6
10.2
335
294
91
68
53
146
101
181
67
269
110
84
160
219
—
119
202
82
96
140
77
65
86
132
103
162
209
—
187
264
115
122
166
216
194
214
238
140
170
10/26
214
235
91
480
180
116
72
7%
10/7
Car. Rg.
<0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5
9.6 6.0 6.6 7.0 6.9
.08 .06 .10 .03
.06
<.05
9.1
.10
<0.5
6.4
.08
<0.5 <0.5
2.7
<0.5
4.5
<0.5
2.7
2.0
5.1
0.9
1.3
2.7
1.7
2.6
<0.5
4.6
.06
2.4 7.0
6.0 21.1
5.5 8.6
5.1 6.2
6.7 8.4
3.0 4.4
7.4 23.0
4.8 4.9
3.8 7.2
0.8
Av.
25 25
25 22
31
4.5 4.5 4.5 4.1
5.4
<5 <5 <5 <5
<0.5 5.3
5.3
<5
5.6
25 4.8
<5
5.5 2.2
4.5
4.5 <5 <5
13
21 2.9 <5
24
6.5
23
-
13.6
6.8
12.9
10.3
12.9
13.7 5.0 6.7
29 4.8
8.4 11.1
3.2 4.4
16.3
-
11.8
13.3 13.3
10.6 20.5
15.8 13.3
9.6 16.6
20.4 25.4
23.5
13.1
7.9 11.5
9.7
—
13.6 28.9
18.8
12.9
13.3 14.6
14.0
13
5.3 8.1
5.5 18.7
8.0 13.3
4.5 7.9
5.5 8.2
3.0 4.2
6.0 13.7
7.1 7.3
6.1 18.3
13.8
total 7 13.3
Rg.
Yolk sac Av.
20
6.7
9.6
10.7
5.8
7.2
3.6
9.8
<5
3.5
21 41
31 3.2 6.1 4.8
<5
<0.5 4.8
<5
21 32
27 2.2 5.4
3.8
<5
1.6 8.6
3.8
— 24
—
4.5
<5
<0.5 2.8
4.1
39 48
45
6.7 8.6
7.9
<5
<0.5 2.3
<5
6.0
17 21
19
1.9 4.1
3.0
<5
<0.5 5.4
<5
3.3 9.4
25 57
37
3.8 8.9
6.0
<5
<0.5 6.9
7.2
27 27
27
3.8 5.1
4.5
<5
2.6 2.6
34
3.6 5.3
4.4
n
Rg.
-
26
25
Av. total 7 5.6 5.0 6.2
Rg-
2.2 6.4
3
total 7
Rg.
Vitamin A activity Serum & liver
4.6
4.5
Av.
Car. Av.
Yolk sac Vit A
<5
Av.
Car.
Chicks
—
total 7 <0.5 1.6
Rg.
Liver Vit. A
<.01
7.4
<.01
2.6
4.7
5.6
7.1
5.6
7.4
3.7
12.2
4.9
5.0
6.3
<.01 .04
<.01 .20
.02 .09
<.01 .13
.06 .12
—
Car.
7/ml. 5.1 4.4 5.8
Av.
<.01
.05
.02
2
.05
2 .07
.05
4
4
.09
3
2
<.01
.06 .41
.23
4
<.01 .10
.05
2
.03 .07
.02 .04
Rg. 2
.05
7/ml. .03
Av.
Vit. A
5
2
No.
Serum
Calculat sd by assuming 4.2 '/c of the weight of the bi rd to be serum and .1 4 % of the total carotenoids to be act ve. Range. * — indies tes missing data.
1 2
10.8
12.7
11.5
44.6
21.0
6.4
319
322
8.3
332
14.0
11.5
24.2
305
317
—
24.8
9.6
17.2
297
304
14.0
25.5
33.1
331
15.3
26.1
34.4
327
287
27.4
15.9
316
1.0
25.5
44.6
315
21.7
23.6
33.8
310
—
12.1
5.1
302
19.7
26.8
36.9
296
263
45.9
26.8
290
286
21.0
25.5
28.7
288
7%
10/26
20.4
10/7
Vit. A
Serum
243
Dam No.
Hens
TABLE 2.—Experiment 3: Relation of serum vitamin A and total carotenoid levels of partially depleted hens to the vitamin A activity levels oj their chicks
://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
2
1
245
576
384
211
180
350
338
84
264
151
154
151
204
35.7
31.9
23.6
39.5
35.0
38.2
58.6
30.6
26.8
28.7
44.0
33.8
63.7
63.7
60.5
60.5
42.7
70.1
71.3
66.9
38.2
49.1
44.6
41.4
41.4
61.2
B37
B38
B46
B59
W36
W37
W39
W42
W4S
W48
W49
W51
W54
23.0 26.9
24.5
.06 .57
18.1 27.2 26.4
.45 .54 .32 .70 .16 .64
.49
24.9 34.6
28.5
.35 .89
.60
3
34.6 38.4
35.8
.41 .64
.54
3
238
379
29.8 34.6
31.7
.26 .70
24.0 27.8
23.0 33.6
15.2 21.1
31.7 40.3
26.1 31.7
19.2 23.4
25.9 31.7
38.4 43.2
.48
.37
.48
35.8
.01 .70
.35
21.3 29.2
.16 .29
29.5
.06 .57
.36
.22
.13 .48
41.3
.45 .54
.49 .28
20.0
.32 .64
.48
.28 13.0 26.9
26.9 35.5
31.7
.13 .57
.38
5
4
3
2
4
3
2
4
3
2
4
3
y/ml. 20.6 13.4 25.9
Car. Av. Rg.
-y/ml. .39 .20 .51
Vit. A Av. Rg. 2
250
199
298
185
494
264
133
240
394
442
173
204
4
No.
Serum
27 29 32 51 29 37
28 41 33
62 83 44 103
75 65
22.3 30.3 15.9 27.6
21.5
46 86
55 61
58
59
43 53
33 34
49
34
38 46
72 101
87 42
22 33
28
27 42
33
54.5
61.7
49.0
23.1
41.4
36.5
36.8
52.8
50.3
39.8
60.2
54.9
17.5
35.4
41 59
49
381 422
46.9 70.3 45.0 64.2
238
167
13.6 30.2 39.9 59.8
258
180
280
379
221
281
410
413
112
277
187.2 194.3
443.0 476.8
63.5 81.6 47.0 85.1
72.9 61.8
307 426 338 499
392.3 563.2
353.9 496.3
287.4 2 2 2 . 1 364.4
55.5 71.5
61.2 182 307
190.1
32.1 45.1 38.1
203.6 349.9
164.1 267.8
216.0
157 177
31.4 33.0
32.2
244.5 411.8
317.1
1 8 5 . 8 - 164.5 200.8
299.4
49.8 64.9
59.5
125.5 154.4
184.1 217.9
187.2 211.6
52.4 66.8
80.4 172.4
127.8 121.5 134.1
138.0
203.9
199.4
59.6
132.4
total y 57.5 48.1 66.1
38.6 55.2
48.8 57.7
43.4 44.6
41.5 50.2
63.9 81.8
29.4 39.3
27.7 36.1
44.3 59.4
52.9
44.0
46.2
73.6
34.4
31.8
51.0
total y 36.2 2 9 . 3 42.6
Yolk sac Av. Rg.
Vitamin A activity 1 Serum & liver Av. Rg.
45.4
1
161 317
136 223
204 376
330 411
211 230
258 300
365 442
365 461
106 125
149 365
total y 96 86 110
32.9 48.7
28.1 44.8
34.6 40.5
48.5 56.8
47.5 53.1
35.5 49.4
56.1 62.9
50.6 59.2
15.4 19.1
28.4 44.4
totaly 23.8 18.1 27.1
Car. Av. R g .
Yolk sac
Vit . A Av. Rg.
total y 34 28 38
Car. Av. R g .
Chicks
26.0
17.5 23.1
10.4 20.7
14.1 21.3
12.7 21.5
10.4 14.8
11.9 25.5
15.1 22.3
17.8 20.9
12.7 20.4
16.7 20.7
13.5 14.3
5.6 12.4
14.3 19.1
17.8
12.6
20.4
19.7
19.4
16.1
18.8
13.9
8.1
17.5
total 7 12.6 10.0 14.3
Vit . A Av. Rg.
Liver
Calculated by assuming 4.2% of the weight of the bird to be serum and .34% of the total carotenoids to be active. Range.
240
29.9
66.9
B36
7% 221 173
7% 41.4
58.6
Car. 3/4 3/24
Vit A 3/24 3/4
Serum
B34
D a m No.
Hens
TABLE 3.—Experiment 4: Relation of serum vitamin A and total carotenoid levels of well-fed hens to the vitamin A activity levels of their chicks
//ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
1202
R. L. S Q U I B B
The increased intake of vitamin A activity resulted in higher serum vitamin A and total carotenoid levels in the hens and in the chicks (Table 3). As noted in experiment 3, a high variation of vitamin A activity reserves was observed between chicks of different hens and among chicks of the same hen. Further, hens with the highest serum vitamin A levels did not necessarily produce chicks with the highest vitamin A reserves. Even yolk sac content of this essential was not proportionately related to the vitamin A activity of the hen's serum. Moreover, array of individual chick data showed t h a t the vitamin A activity levels of chicks from the same hen were not related to the sequence in which the eggs were laid during the 6-day collection period.
DISCUSSION
This paper presents data on the vitamin A reserves of the chick and on variability in transfer of this essential from the hen to the progeny via the egg. D a t a observed in progeny hatched from flocks fed rations containing 3,000 I U ' s of vitamin A per pound of feed indicate that while the greatest vitamin A activity reserves immediately available to the newborn chick are found in the liver, more t h a n 5 times this quantity are available for absorption in the yolk sac. Unpublished data of this station and those of Harvey et al. (1955) on deutectomized birds indicate t h a t these additional reserves may significantly prolong the lives of chicks fed vitamin A deficient rations. By calculation 2 it appears t h a t less t h a n a total of 0.85 of a microgram of vitamin A and 34 micrograms of total carotenoids circulate in the body of a newborn chick. Such minute quantities of vitamin A, as compared to t h a t found in the liver, would indicate t h a t the serum is principally a means of transport. The high serum total carotenoids of the newly hatched chick were not characterized. The rapid reduction of these pigments observed during the first 7 days of the chick's life m a y be explained by their storage in the form of active and nonactive pigments and their conversion in p a r t to vitamin A. Assuming mortality data as presented in Figure 1 to be correlated to vitamin A activity reserves, then the rate indicates a high degree of variability in the vitamin A reserves of chicks from parent stock fed a ration containing 3,000 IU's of vitamin A per pound of feed. In these chicks, fed a vitamin A deficient ration, the first 2 Assuming 4.2% of the body weight of the chick to be serum containing 50 micrograms percent vitamin A and 1,989 micrograms percent total carotenoids.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
The high sera variability for vitamin A and total carotenoids of the hens resulted in a high variability for vitamin A and total carotenoids in the sera, livers and yolk sacs between chicks of different hens and among chicks of the same hen. Immediately at the conclusion of experiment 3, the same breeder flock of 40 hens was placed on the following ration for a period of 4 months: ground yellow corn, 57.5; ground wheat, 20; meat scrap, 7.5; soybean oil meal, 5; alfalfa meal, 3; ground limestone, 3 ; dicalcium phosphate, 2; BY-500, 1; feeding oil (300D-1,500A), 0.4; salt, 0.35; and Aurofac (1.8 mg. Bi 2 / lb.), 0.25. At the end of this period a 1 ml. solution containing 25,000 IU's of a water miscible vitamin A compound was placed in the crop of each hen 48 hours prior to obtaining the first blood samples. Egg collections were made and blood sera, livers and yolk sacs obtained from the resulting chicks according to the previously described procedures. Daily egg production during this experiment ranged from 65 to 7 2 % ; the hatch of total eggs set was 8 5 % .
1203
SERUM VITAMIN A LEVELS
The high variability observed in the vitamin A activity reserves of the chicks is of interest. It involves not only transfer of this essential by the hen to the egg but also absorption by the developing embryo. It is evident that even in chicks from well-fed parent stock the total vitamin A reserves are relatively small. Immediate dietary supplementation of this essential is therefore important. While increasing the vitamin A intake of the breeder flock is reflected in the transfer of higher vitamin A levels, there will still be considerable variation among the progeny. Therefore, if higher vitamin A
reserves are desired, it would appear to be more efficient to supplement the chick directly. SUMMARY
Data are presented on the vitamin A activity reserves of newly hatched chicks. The rate of mortality of chicks fed a deficient ration indicated considerable variation of vitamin A reserves to exist among individuals hatched from eggs obtained from the same flock. This same high variability was apparent when the studies were extended to individual observations on chicks from different hens and among chicks of the same hen. Direct supplementation was proposed as the most efficient procedure for increasing the average vitamin A activity reserves of newly hatched chicks. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author wishes to express his appreciation to Harry Veros and Roderick Merrick for their technical assistance in the vitamin analyses and the care of the birds. The work was supported in part by a grant-in-aid from the Cooperative Grange League Federation, Ithaca, N. Y. REFERENCES Baumann, C. A., J. Semb, C. E. Holmes and J. G. Halpin, 1939. The determination of vitamin A in the hen's egg. Poultry Sci. 18:48-53. Bearse, G. E., and M. W. Miller, 1937. The effect of varying levels of vitamin A in the hen ration on the vitamin A content of the egg yolk, on hatchability and on chick livability. Poultry Sci. 16: 39-43. Bessey, O. A., O. H. Lowry, M. J. Brock and J. A. Lopez, 1946. The determination of vitamin A and carotene in small quantities of blood. J. Biol. Chem. 166:177. Harvey, J. D., D. B. Parrish, P. E. Sanford and J. S. Hughes, 1955. The utilization of carotene and vitamin A by chicks during the first week after hatching. Poultry Sci. 34: 1348-1357.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
mortality was observed on the 9th day; by the 28th day approximately 70% had died. While serum total carotenoid and vitamin A levels declined rapidly in the chicks fed the vitamin A deficient ration (Fig. 1), average data observed after the 17th day remained fairly constant and as such could not be correlated to mortality rate. Data obtained on chicks from the same parent stock provided with diets adequate and inadequate in vitamin A definitely confirm a high variability among hens and within hens on the transfer of this essential to their offspring. The high within variation was even more clearly demonstrated in experiment 4 when the hens were given a single massive dose of vitamin A 10 days prior to egg collection. The vitamin A activity reserves of the chicks hatched from eggs of these hens did not show a relationship to the sequence in which the eggs were laid. Since the serum vitamin A levels of the hens dropped during the course of the experiment, one would expect the vitamin A activity reserves to be highest in those chicks hatched from eggs having the longest contact with blood levels containing the greatest vitamin A activity levels.
1204
R. L. SQUIBB
Heywang, B. W., 1940. The cfiect of cold drinking water on chick growth and yolk absorption. Poultry Sci. 19:201-204. Rubin, M., and H. R. Bird, 1941. Some experiments on the physiology of vitamin A storage in the chick. Poultry Sci. 20: 291-297.
.Squibb, R. L., and H. Veros, 1961. Avian disease virus and nutrition relationships. / . Effect of vitamin A on growth, symptoms, mortality and vitamin A reserves of White Leghorn chicks infected with Newcastle disease virus. Poultry Sci. 40: 425-433.
JOHN M. THOMAS,3 LEO S. JENSEN AND JAMES MCGINNIS Department of Poultry Science, Washington State University, Pullman (Received for publication November 1, 1960)
I
T HAS been shown (Thomas et ah, 1960) that an unidentified microorganism improved the nutritional value of sterilized or dry barley diets for chicks. Indirect evidence for a microbial action during water-treatment of barley was given by Thomas et al. (1961). Experiments reported here were conducted to study the influence of adding antibiotics on the nutritional improvement of barley by water-treatment. EXPERIMENTAL
Six-day-old WSU White Olympian chicks of both sexes were used in experiment 1, while seven-day-old females were used in experiment 2 (fed a standard chick starter for six and seven days, respectively). Day-old Broad Breasted 1
Scientific Paper No. 2026, Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations, Pullman. Project No. 1291. 2 Based in part on work performed under contract with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Western Utilization Research and Development Division, Albany, California, and submitted as a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Poultry Science at Washington State University. 3 Present address: Department of Poultry Husbandry, California State Polytechnic College, San Luis Obispo, California.
Bronze turkey poults were used in experiment 3. Birds were randomly distributed into groups of ten each with three groups fed each experimental diet, and were maintained in electrically-heated batteries with raised wire screen floors. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. Percentage composition of the basal chick diet was the same as given by Thomas et al. (1961), except that bacitracin (7 mg./lb. of diet) was used as the antibiotic. The basal poult diet is in Table 1. Water-treated barley was prepared as previously described by Thomas et al. (1960). The antibiotics oxytetracycline4, bacitracin8, SKF 79886, procaine penicillin7, tylosin8, and erythromycin 9 were used, at a level of 317 mg. per pound of barley in experiment 1, bacitracin and oxytetracycline were used in experiment 4
Charles Pfizer & Co., Inc., Agricultural and Research Center, Terre Haute, Indiana. 5 Commercial Solvents Corporation, Terre Haute, Indiana. 6 Smith, Kline, and French Laboratories, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 7 Merck & Co., Inc., Chemical Division, Railway, New Jersey 8 Eli Lilly & Co., Indianapolis, Indiana. 9 Abbott Laboratories, Chemical Sales Division, North Chicago, Illinois.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
Interference with the Nutritional Improvement of Water-Treated Barley by Antibiotics 12
Pepper, W. F., S. J. Slinger and I. Motzok, 1955. The effect of animal fat on the calcium and phosphorus requirements of the chicks. Poultry Sci. 34: 1216. Romanoff, A. L., and A. J. Romanoff, 1949. The Avian Egg. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. Steggerda, F. R., and H. H. Mitchell, 1951. The calcium balance of adult human subjects on high- and low-fat (butter) diets. J. Nutrition, 45: 201-211. Sturkie, P. D., 1954. Avian Physiology. Comstock Pub. Co., Ithaca, N. Y. Tyler, C , and F. H. Geake, 1953. Studies on egg shells. III. Some physical and chemical characteristics of the egg shells of domestic hens. J. Sci. Food Agr. 12:587-596.
Relation of Serum Vitamin A Activity Levels of Hens to Reserves in Their Progeny 1 R O B E R T L. S Q U I B B
Disease and Environmental Stress Laboratories, Rutgers, the Stale University, New Brunswicji, New Jersey (Received for publication October 31, 1960)
T
H E physiology of vitamin A activity storage in the chick has been studied by Rubin and Bird (1941). During the period of development, reserves are accumulated in the egg via the blood stream of the hen and are utilized in p a r t by the growing embryo. Prior to hatching, excess yolk is drawn into the body cavity where it is absorbed from the sac over a 10-day period (Heywang, 1940). Bearse and Miller (1937) and Baumann et al. (1939) have correlated vitamin A reserves of the newborn chick to the content of this essential in the hen's diet.
The present studies were initiated to evaluate parental vitamin A stores in the chick, and to establish the relationship of the vitamin A activity of the hen's serum to these reserves. Variations between and 1 Paper of the Journal Series, Rutgers, the State University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
within hens in transfer of vitamin A activity to the chick were observed. METHODS AND RESULTS Experiment 1.—Estimation of Parental Vitamin A Activity Reserves of Chicks. Vitamin A and total carotenoids transferred by the hen to the chick via the egg were estimated by determining the content of these nutrients in the sera, livers and yolk sacs of 25 newly hatched White Leghorn chicks obtained from a local hatchery. The chicks were from a breeder flock fed a diet containing a minimum of 3,000 IU's of vitamin A per pound of feed. The birds were weighed and bled by heart puncture, then sacrificed and the yolk sacs and livers removed and weighed. Vitamin A and total carotenoids were determined by the method of Bessey et al. (1946).
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
three levels of fat intake on calcium metabolism. J. Am. Dietet. Assoc. 29: 1010-1013. Hochreich, H. J., C. R. Douglas, I. H. Kidd and R. H. Harms, 1958. The effect of dietary protein and energy levels upon production of Single Comb White Leghorn hens. Poultry Sci. 37: 949953. Jones, J. H., 1940. The influence of fat on calcium and phosphorus metabolism. J. Nutrition, 20: 367-376. Mueller, W. J., 1959. The effect of environmental temperature and humidity on the calcium balance and serum calcium of laying pullets. Poultry Sci. 38: 1296-1301. Patton, J., and W. Reeder, 1956. New indicator for titration of calcium with (ethylenedinitrilo) tetraacetate. Anal. Chem. 28: 1026-1028.
1197
1198
R. L. S Q U I B B
TABLE 1.—Experiment 1: Vitamin A activity reserves of the newly hatched chick
1
40 + 0.8' 4.9 + 0.3 1.1+0.01 49.6 + 3.9 1989 + 190 48.1+2.2 306 + 18.8 10.4 + 0.5 30 + 3.6
Standard error.
As shown in Table 1, yolk sacs averaged 12.3% of the body weight of the bird and contained a total of 48.1 y of vitamin A and 306 7 of carotenoids. Serum contained 49.6 7 % vitamin A and 1989 y% of total carotenoids. Livers averaged 2 . 5 % of body weight and contained a total of 10.4 7 of vitamin A and 30 y of total carotenoids. Experiment 2.— Utilization of Parental Vitamin A Reserves by the Chick. In order to estimate the utilization of parental vitamin A reserves by the chick, as measured by rate of mortality and serum vitamin A and total carotenoids, 500 day-old White Leghorn cockerels from the previously described breeder flock were put on a vitamin A deficient ration (Squibb and Veros, 1961) for a period of 28 days. The chicks were housed in all-wire batteries and received feed and water ad libitum. Representative numbers of chicks were removed from the group at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days following the start of the experiment in order to estimate serum vitamin A activity levels of the remaining birds. These chicks, totalling 150, were discarded following bleeding by heart puncture. The sera were analyzed for vitamin A and total carotenoids. I n Figure 1, chick mortality, sera vitamin A and total carotenoid levels were plotted against time. The d a t a of this figure show that approximately 18 y
Experiments 3 and 4.—Transfer of Vitamin A Activity from the Hen to the Chick. D a t a related to the transfer of vitamin A from the hen to the chick were observed in two experiments. Procedures common to both experiments consisted of first estimating the blood levels of vitamin A activity in contact with the egg during and at the end of its development within the hen. This was accomplished b y bleeding each hen from a wing vein 10 days prior to and following a 6-day egg collection period. All eggs, identified as to dam and date laid, were pedigree hatched. Immediately following hatching, chicks were weighed, then bled by heart puncture and sacrificed. Livers and yolk sacs were removed and weighed and vitamin A and total carotenoids determined on the sera, livers and yolk sacs. A flock of 40 White Leghorn Cornell randombred hens, 8 months of age with a history of a borderline vitamin A deficiency, was selected for experiment 3. The birds were housed with 6 White Leghorn cocks in a floor pen. A total of 130 eggs were collected from these birds during the 6-day collection period. Only 47 weak, unthrifty chicks were hatched from these
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
Body weight, gm. Yolk sac weight, gm. Liver weight, gm. Serum vitamin A, y% Serum total carotenoids, y% Yolk sac vitamin A, total y Yolk sac carotenoids, total y Liver vitamin A, total y Liver carotenoids, total y
of total carotenoids per ml. of serum were reduced to 4 7 / m l . and serum vitamin A levels of 0.5 7 / m l . to 0.3 7 / m l . within 7 days following hatching. From the 7th to the 28th day the rate of reduction of serum carotenoids was not as precipitous. On the other hand, the serum vitamin A levels were reduced at an even rate until the 16th day and then levelled off. Mortality from vitamin A deficiency started on the 9th day when serum carotenoids averaged 3 7 / m l . and vitamin A 0.27 7 / m l . in the living birds; it rose sharply at the end of the 17th day when total carotenoids in the surviving birds had been reduced to 0.75 7 / m l . and vitamin A to .06 7 / m l .
SERUM VITAMIN A L E V E L S
eggs. D a t a on the vitamin A and total carotenoid levels of the sera, livers and yolk sacs of the chicks and on the sera of the hens are presented in Table 2. The borderline deficiency of vitamin A in the breeder flock was confirmed by the low fertility and hatchability of the eggs set,
1199
and by comparison of the vitamin A and total carotenoid levels of the sera, livers and yolk sacs of these chicks with those obtained from a well-fed flock (Table 1). D a t a of Table 2 indicate a large variation between hens with respect to sera levels of vitamin A and total carotenoids.
V I T A M I N A CURVE CAROTENE CURVE
X
M O R T A L I T Y CURVE
A G E I N DAYS
FIG. 1, Experiment 2. Serum total carotenoids and vitamin A levels plotted against the rate of mortality of White Leghorn chicks fed a vitamin A deficient ration.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
A ©
7.6
19.7
9.6
10.2
335
294
91
68
53
146
101
181
67
269
110
84
160
219
—
119
202
82
96
140
77
65
86
132
103
162
209
—
187
264
115
122
166
216
194
214
238
140
170
10/26
214
235
91
480
180
116
72
7%
10/7
Car. Rg.
<0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 <0.5
9.6 6.0 6.6 7.0 6.9
.08 .06 .10 .03
.06
<.05
9.1
.10
<0.5
6.4
.08
<0.5 <0.5
2.7
<0.5
4.5
<0.5
2.7
2.0
5.1
0.9
1.3
2.7
1.7
2.6
<0.5
4.6
.06
2.4 7.0
6.0 21.1
5.5 8.6
5.1 6.2
6.7 8.4
3.0 4.4
7.4 23.0
4.8 4.9
3.8 7.2
0.8
Av.
25 25
25 22
31
4.5 4.5 4.5 4.1
5.4
<5 <5 <5 <5
<0.5 5.3
5.3
<5
5.6
25 4.8
<5
5.5 2.2
4.5
4.5 <5 <5
13
21 2.9 <5
24
6.5
23
-
13.6
6.8
12.9
10.3
12.9
13.7 5.0 6.7
29 4.8
8.4 11.1
3.2 4.4
16.3
-
11.8
13.3 13.3
10.6 20.5
15.8 13.3
9.6 16.6
20.4 25.4
23.5
13.1
7.9 11.5
9.7
—
13.6 28.9
18.8
12.9
13.3 14.6
14.0
13
5.3 8.1
5.5 18.7
8.0 13.3
4.5 7.9
5.5 8.2
3.0 4.2
6.0 13.7
7.1 7.3
6.1 18.3
13.8
total 7 13.3
Rg.
Yolk sac Av.
20
6.7
9.6
10.7
5.8
7.2
3.6
9.8
<5
3.5
21 41
31 3.2 6.1 4.8
<5
<0.5 4.8
<5
21 32
27 2.2 5.4
3.8
<5
1.6 8.6
3.8
— 24
—
4.5
<5
<0.5 2.8
4.1
39 48
45
6.7 8.6
7.9
<5
<0.5 2.3
<5
6.0
17 21
19
1.9 4.1
3.0
<5
<0.5 5.4
<5
3.3 9.4
25 57
37
3.8 8.9
6.0
<5
<0.5 6.9
7.2
27 27
27
3.8 5.1
4.5
<5
2.6 2.6
34
3.6 5.3
4.4
n
Rg.
-
26
25
Av. total 7 5.6 5.0 6.2
Rg-
2.2 6.4
3
total 7
Rg.
Vitamin A activity Serum & liver
4.6
4.5
Av.
Car. Av.
Yolk sac Vit A
<5
Av.
Car.
Chicks
—
total 7 <0.5 1.6
Rg.
Liver Vit. A
<.01
7.4
<.01
2.6
4.7
5.6
7.1
5.6
7.4
3.7
12.2
4.9
5.0
6.3
<.01 .04
<.01 .20
.02 .09
<.01 .13
.06 .12
—
Car.
7/ml. 5.1 4.4 5.8
Av.
<.01
.05
.02
2
.05
2 .07
.05
4
4
.09
3
2
<.01
.06 .41
.23
4
<.01 .10
.05
2
.03 .07
.02 .04
Rg. 2
.05
7/ml. .03
Av.
Vit. A
5
2
No.
Serum
Calculat sd by assuming 4.2 '/c of the weight of the bi rd to be serum and .1 4 % of the total carotenoids to be act ve. Range. * — indies tes missing data.
1 2
10.8
12.7
11.5
44.6
21.0
6.4
319
322
8.3
332
14.0
11.5
24.2
305
317
—
24.8
9.6
17.2
297
304
14.0
25.5
33.1
331
15.3
26.1
34.4
327
287
27.4
15.9
316
1.0
25.5
44.6
315
21.7
23.6
33.8
310
—
12.1
5.1
302
19.7
26.8
36.9
296
263
45.9
26.8
290
286
21.0
25.5
28.7
288
7%
10/26
20.4
10/7
Vit. A
Serum
243
Dam No.
Hens
TABLE 2.—Experiment 3: Relation of serum vitamin A and total carotenoid levels of partially depleted hens to the vitamin A activity levels oj their chicks
://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
2
1
245
576
384
211
180
350
338
84
264
151
154
151
204
35.7
31.9
23.6
39.5
35.0
38.2
58.6
30.6
26.8
28.7
44.0
33.8
63.7
63.7
60.5
60.5
42.7
70.1
71.3
66.9
38.2
49.1
44.6
41.4
41.4
61.2
B37
B38
B46
B59
W36
W37
W39
W42
W4S
W48
W49
W51
W54
23.0 26.9
24.5
.06 .57
18.1 27.2 26.4
.45 .54 .32 .70 .16 .64
.49
24.9 34.6
28.5
.35 .89
.60
3
34.6 38.4
35.8
.41 .64
.54
3
238
379
29.8 34.6
31.7
.26 .70
24.0 27.8
23.0 33.6
15.2 21.1
31.7 40.3
26.1 31.7
19.2 23.4
25.9 31.7
38.4 43.2
.48
.37
.48
35.8
.01 .70
.35
21.3 29.2
.16 .29
29.5
.06 .57
.36
.22
.13 .48
41.3
.45 .54
.49 .28
20.0
.32 .64
.48
.28 13.0 26.9
26.9 35.5
31.7
.13 .57
.38
5
4
3
2
4
3
2
4
3
2
4
3
y/ml. 20.6 13.4 25.9
Car. Av. Rg.
-y/ml. .39 .20 .51
Vit. A Av. Rg. 2
250
199
298
185
494
264
133
240
394
442
173
204
4
No.
Serum
27 29 32 51 29 37
28 41 33
62 83 44 103
75 65
22.3 30.3 15.9 27.6
21.5
46 86
55 61
58
59
43 53
33 34
49
34
38 46
72 101
87 42
22 33
28
27 42
33
54.5
61.7
49.0
23.1
41.4
36.5
36.8
52.8
50.3
39.8
60.2
54.9
17.5
35.4
41 59
49
381 422
46.9 70.3 45.0 64.2
238
167
13.6 30.2 39.9 59.8
258
180
280
379
221
281
410
413
112
277
187.2 194.3
443.0 476.8
63.5 81.6 47.0 85.1
72.9 61.8
307 426 338 499
392.3 563.2
353.9 496.3
287.4 2 2 2 . 1 364.4
55.5 71.5
61.2 182 307
190.1
32.1 45.1 38.1
203.6 349.9
164.1 267.8
216.0
157 177
31.4 33.0
32.2
244.5 411.8
317.1
1 8 5 . 8 - 164.5 200.8
299.4
49.8 64.9
59.5
125.5 154.4
184.1 217.9
187.2 211.6
52.4 66.8
80.4 172.4
127.8 121.5 134.1
138.0
203.9
199.4
59.6
132.4
total y 57.5 48.1 66.1
38.6 55.2
48.8 57.7
43.4 44.6
41.5 50.2
63.9 81.8
29.4 39.3
27.7 36.1
44.3 59.4
52.9
44.0
46.2
73.6
34.4
31.8
51.0
total y 36.2 2 9 . 3 42.6
Yolk sac Av. Rg.
Vitamin A activity 1 Serum & liver Av. Rg.
45.4
1
161 317
136 223
204 376
330 411
211 230
258 300
365 442
365 461
106 125
149 365
total y 96 86 110
32.9 48.7
28.1 44.8
34.6 40.5
48.5 56.8
47.5 53.1
35.5 49.4
56.1 62.9
50.6 59.2
15.4 19.1
28.4 44.4
totaly 23.8 18.1 27.1
Car. Av. R g .
Yolk sac
Vit . A Av. Rg.
total y 34 28 38
Car. Av. R g .
Chicks
26.0
17.5 23.1
10.4 20.7
14.1 21.3
12.7 21.5
10.4 14.8
11.9 25.5
15.1 22.3
17.8 20.9
12.7 20.4
16.7 20.7
13.5 14.3
5.6 12.4
14.3 19.1
17.8
12.6
20.4
19.7
19.4
16.1
18.8
13.9
8.1
17.5
total 7 12.6 10.0 14.3
Vit . A Av. Rg.
Liver
Calculated by assuming 4.2% of the weight of the bird to be serum and .34% of the total carotenoids to be active. Range.
240
29.9
66.9
B36
7% 221 173
7% 41.4
58.6
Car. 3/4 3/24
Vit A 3/24 3/4
Serum
B34
D a m No.
Hens
TABLE 3.—Experiment 4: Relation of serum vitamin A and total carotenoid levels of well-fed hens to the vitamin A activity levels of their chicks
//ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
1202
R. L. S Q U I B B
The increased intake of vitamin A activity resulted in higher serum vitamin A and total carotenoid levels in the hens and in the chicks (Table 3). As noted in experiment 3, a high variation of vitamin A activity reserves was observed between chicks of different hens and among chicks of the same hen. Further, hens with the highest serum vitamin A levels did not necessarily produce chicks with the highest vitamin A reserves. Even yolk sac content of this essential was not proportionately related to the vitamin A activity of the hen's serum. Moreover, array of individual chick data showed t h a t the vitamin A activity levels of chicks from the same hen were not related to the sequence in which the eggs were laid during the 6-day collection period.
DISCUSSION
This paper presents data on the vitamin A reserves of the chick and on variability in transfer of this essential from the hen to the progeny via the egg. D a t a observed in progeny hatched from flocks fed rations containing 3,000 I U ' s of vitamin A per pound of feed indicate that while the greatest vitamin A activity reserves immediately available to the newborn chick are found in the liver, more t h a n 5 times this quantity are available for absorption in the yolk sac. Unpublished data of this station and those of Harvey et al. (1955) on deutectomized birds indicate t h a t these additional reserves may significantly prolong the lives of chicks fed vitamin A deficient rations. By calculation 2 it appears t h a t less t h a n a total of 0.85 of a microgram of vitamin A and 34 micrograms of total carotenoids circulate in the body of a newborn chick. Such minute quantities of vitamin A, as compared to t h a t found in the liver, would indicate t h a t the serum is principally a means of transport. The high serum total carotenoids of the newly hatched chick were not characterized. The rapid reduction of these pigments observed during the first 7 days of the chick's life m a y be explained by their storage in the form of active and nonactive pigments and their conversion in p a r t to vitamin A. Assuming mortality data as presented in Figure 1 to be correlated to vitamin A activity reserves, then the rate indicates a high degree of variability in the vitamin A reserves of chicks from parent stock fed a ration containing 3,000 IU's of vitamin A per pound of feed. In these chicks, fed a vitamin A deficient ration, the first 2 Assuming 4.2% of the body weight of the chick to be serum containing 50 micrograms percent vitamin A and 1,989 micrograms percent total carotenoids.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
The high sera variability for vitamin A and total carotenoids of the hens resulted in a high variability for vitamin A and total carotenoids in the sera, livers and yolk sacs between chicks of different hens and among chicks of the same hen. Immediately at the conclusion of experiment 3, the same breeder flock of 40 hens was placed on the following ration for a period of 4 months: ground yellow corn, 57.5; ground wheat, 20; meat scrap, 7.5; soybean oil meal, 5; alfalfa meal, 3; ground limestone, 3 ; dicalcium phosphate, 2; BY-500, 1; feeding oil (300D-1,500A), 0.4; salt, 0.35; and Aurofac (1.8 mg. Bi 2 / lb.), 0.25. At the end of this period a 1 ml. solution containing 25,000 IU's of a water miscible vitamin A compound was placed in the crop of each hen 48 hours prior to obtaining the first blood samples. Egg collections were made and blood sera, livers and yolk sacs obtained from the resulting chicks according to the previously described procedures. Daily egg production during this experiment ranged from 65 to 7 2 % ; the hatch of total eggs set was 8 5 % .
1203
SERUM VITAMIN A LEVELS
The high variability observed in the vitamin A activity reserves of the chicks is of interest. It involves not only transfer of this essential by the hen to the egg but also absorption by the developing embryo. It is evident that even in chicks from well-fed parent stock the total vitamin A reserves are relatively small. Immediate dietary supplementation of this essential is therefore important. While increasing the vitamin A intake of the breeder flock is reflected in the transfer of higher vitamin A levels, there will still be considerable variation among the progeny. Therefore, if higher vitamin A
reserves are desired, it would appear to be more efficient to supplement the chick directly. SUMMARY
Data are presented on the vitamin A activity reserves of newly hatched chicks. The rate of mortality of chicks fed a deficient ration indicated considerable variation of vitamin A reserves to exist among individuals hatched from eggs obtained from the same flock. This same high variability was apparent when the studies were extended to individual observations on chicks from different hens and among chicks of the same hen. Direct supplementation was proposed as the most efficient procedure for increasing the average vitamin A activity reserves of newly hatched chicks. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author wishes to express his appreciation to Harry Veros and Roderick Merrick for their technical assistance in the vitamin analyses and the care of the birds. The work was supported in part by a grant-in-aid from the Cooperative Grange League Federation, Ithaca, N. Y. REFERENCES Baumann, C. A., J. Semb, C. E. Holmes and J. G. Halpin, 1939. The determination of vitamin A in the hen's egg. Poultry Sci. 18:48-53. Bearse, G. E., and M. W. Miller, 1937. The effect of varying levels of vitamin A in the hen ration on the vitamin A content of the egg yolk, on hatchability and on chick livability. Poultry Sci. 16: 39-43. Bessey, O. A., O. H. Lowry, M. J. Brock and J. A. Lopez, 1946. The determination of vitamin A and carotene in small quantities of blood. J. Biol. Chem. 166:177. Harvey, J. D., D. B. Parrish, P. E. Sanford and J. S. Hughes, 1955. The utilization of carotene and vitamin A by chicks during the first week after hatching. Poultry Sci. 34: 1348-1357.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
mortality was observed on the 9th day; by the 28th day approximately 70% had died. While serum total carotenoid and vitamin A levels declined rapidly in the chicks fed the vitamin A deficient ration (Fig. 1), average data observed after the 17th day remained fairly constant and as such could not be correlated to mortality rate. Data obtained on chicks from the same parent stock provided with diets adequate and inadequate in vitamin A definitely confirm a high variability among hens and within hens on the transfer of this essential to their offspring. The high within variation was even more clearly demonstrated in experiment 4 when the hens were given a single massive dose of vitamin A 10 days prior to egg collection. The vitamin A activity reserves of the chicks hatched from eggs of these hens did not show a relationship to the sequence in which the eggs were laid. Since the serum vitamin A levels of the hens dropped during the course of the experiment, one would expect the vitamin A activity reserves to be highest in those chicks hatched from eggs having the longest contact with blood levels containing the greatest vitamin A activity levels.
1204
R. L. SQUIBB
Heywang, B. W., 1940. The cfiect of cold drinking water on chick growth and yolk absorption. Poultry Sci. 19:201-204. Rubin, M., and H. R. Bird, 1941. Some experiments on the physiology of vitamin A storage in the chick. Poultry Sci. 20: 291-297.
.Squibb, R. L., and H. Veros, 1961. Avian disease virus and nutrition relationships. / . Effect of vitamin A on growth, symptoms, mortality and vitamin A reserves of White Leghorn chicks infected with Newcastle disease virus. Poultry Sci. 40: 425-433.
JOHN M. THOMAS,3 LEO S. JENSEN AND JAMES MCGINNIS Department of Poultry Science, Washington State University, Pullman (Received for publication November 1, 1960)
I
T HAS been shown (Thomas et ah, 1960) that an unidentified microorganism improved the nutritional value of sterilized or dry barley diets for chicks. Indirect evidence for a microbial action during water-treatment of barley was given by Thomas et al. (1961). Experiments reported here were conducted to study the influence of adding antibiotics on the nutritional improvement of barley by water-treatment. EXPERIMENTAL
Six-day-old WSU White Olympian chicks of both sexes were used in experiment 1, while seven-day-old females were used in experiment 2 (fed a standard chick starter for six and seven days, respectively). Day-old Broad Breasted 1
Scientific Paper No. 2026, Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations, Pullman. Project No. 1291. 2 Based in part on work performed under contract with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Western Utilization Research and Development Division, Albany, California, and submitted as a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Poultry Science at Washington State University. 3 Present address: Department of Poultry Husbandry, California State Polytechnic College, San Luis Obispo, California.
Bronze turkey poults were used in experiment 3. Birds were randomly distributed into groups of ten each with three groups fed each experimental diet, and were maintained in electrically-heated batteries with raised wire screen floors. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. Percentage composition of the basal chick diet was the same as given by Thomas et al. (1961), except that bacitracin (7 mg./lb. of diet) was used as the antibiotic. The basal poult diet is in Table 1. Water-treated barley was prepared as previously described by Thomas et al. (1960). The antibiotics oxytetracycline4, bacitracin8, SKF 79886, procaine penicillin7, tylosin8, and erythromycin 9 were used, at a level of 317 mg. per pound of barley in experiment 1, bacitracin and oxytetracycline were used in experiment 4
Charles Pfizer & Co., Inc., Agricultural and Research Center, Terre Haute, Indiana. 5 Commercial Solvents Corporation, Terre Haute, Indiana. 6 Smith, Kline, and French Laboratories, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 7 Merck & Co., Inc., Chemical Division, Railway, New Jersey 8 Eli Lilly & Co., Indianapolis, Indiana. 9 Abbott Laboratories, Chemical Sales Division, North Chicago, Illinois.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of South Dakota and School of Medicine on May 7, 2015
Interference with the Nutritional Improvement of Water-Treated Barley by Antibiotics 12