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Thiamine Deficiency Identification and Treatment in Commercial Turkeys and Coturnix Quail1
Thiamine Deficiency Identification and Treatment in Commercial Turkeys and Coturnix Quail1 O. W. CHARLES, D. A. ROLAND AND H. M. EDWARDS, JR. Extension Poultry Science Department and Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30601 (Received for publication July 3, 1971)
POULTKY SCIENCE 51: 419-423,
HE thiamine requirement for maximum hatchability in chickens has been reported by Polin et al. (1963). These workers reported that a minimum yolk level of 0.63 p.p.m. of thiamine was necessary for maximum hatchability. Their data indicated that a normal dietary level of 0.68 p.p.m. would produce this level of thiamine in the yolk. Sullivan et al. (1967) and Robenalt, (1960), reported the thiamine requirement of young turkey poults to be between 1.2 and 2 p.p.m. Armintrout et al. (1964), suggested that the requirement for thiamine by the young turkey increases with age. Little is known of the frequency of thiamine deficiency among commercial turkey flocks. The natural abundance of thiamine in feed ingredients suggests that the condition is rare. However, borderline cases may occasionally go unrecognized. The present studies were initiated to investigate a field problem apparently related to thiamine deficiency in newly-hatched turkey poults and a polyneuritis condition observed in Coturnix quail. Symptoms typical
T
1 University of Georgia, College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, Journal Series No. 1117, College Station, Athens.
1972
of classical polyneuritis caused by thiamine deficiency (Figure 1) occurred in newlyhatched poults produced from hens in their sixth week of egg production. Since the thiamine level of the breeder ration was calculated conservatively to be in excess of 3 p.p.m., no supplemental thiamine had been added. The studies in this report were conducted to determine if the administration of one or more B-complex vitamins would cause the remission of these symptoms and improve livability of the poults. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
A small number (1-5%) of all newlyhatched Coturnix quail at the University of Georgia was affected with a polyneuritis like condition. The breeder ration fed to the quail which produced these birds was a practical type turkey breeder feed which contained no supplemental thiamine. Newly-hatched quail affected by the polyneuritis condition were injected with thiamine. Quail breeder diets supplemented with 2.2 mg./kg. of thiamine were compared with unsupplemented breeder diets for the incidence of the polyneuritis symptoms.
419
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
ABSTRACT Day-old turkey poults were obtained from a commercial hatchery which hatched eggs from a particular flock of breeders that produced a considerable number (5-10%) of culls. These cull poults showed symptoms almost classical for polyneuritis. Injection of the poults with a combination vitamin mixture containing thiamine, or of thiamine alone, caused decreased mortality and a remission of symptoms. Poults injected with thiamine grew and developed normally when fed a practical type diet. The addition of 2 mg./kg. of thiamine to the breeder ration caused the condition to disappear in newlyhatched poults from the particular flock involved. Classical symptoms of polyneuritis were noted in newly-hatched quail from breeding flocks fed turkey breeder rations. These quail responded positively to thiamine injection.
420
0 . W. CHARLES, D. A. ROLAND AND H. M. EDWARDS, J R .
FIG. 1. Newly-hatched poult from a commercial hatchery showing retracted head and extended legs. The symptoms are similar to classical polyneuritis caused by thiamine deficiency. Recoverywas obtained in the present case by injection of thiamine.
Poults hatched from a single flock of 8month-old Large White turkey hens were used in these studies. Hatchability during the first five weeks of production had been normal. The percent culls and livability during the first four weeks of production were also normal. The fifth week, livability declined. During the sixth week, percentage of culls, which included dead and paralyzed, increased from 0.2 to 8.9 and mortality was also higher than during the previous week. The nervous syndrome characteristic of the deficiency is shown in Figure 1. To determine if the condition was related to B vitamin deficiency, a number of single and multiple subcutaneous vitamin injections of both healthy poults and those severely affected with the nervous syndrome were given. Mortality and the remission of nervous symptoms were used as criteria of effectiveness of the vitamin injections. In experiment one, normal male turkeys from the flock producing the defective progeny were used. One hundred thirty poults were assigned to each of six treatments. The treatments consisted of 0.2 ml.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
m4 v
subcutaneous injections of single or multiple vitamins as follows: 1. folic acid (20 \).g. per poult); 2. biotin (430 p.g. per poult); 3. pyridoxine HC1 (700 [Ag. per poult); and 4. a multi-vitamin antibiotic combination which supplied 50 \i.g. of thiamine, 10 ;j.g. of riboflavin, 500 \>.g. of niacin, 25 p.g. of pyridoxine, 25 \i.g. of calcium pantothenate and 60,000 units of penicillin per poult. Mortality and symptoms of polyneuritis were recorded daily for 4 days. In the second experiment, ten male and ten female newly-hatched turkey poults were randomized to each of six treatments. In contrast to the first experiment, poults severely affected with the polyneuritis condition were used. Each treatment consisted of 0.2 ml. subcutaneous injections of single and multiple vitamins at the levels used in experiment one. Mortality and remission of polyneuritis were observed for 4 days. Thirty male and 30 female day-old turkey poults were used in each of 9 treatments in experiment three. The treatments were 1 ml. subcutaneous single injections containing either thiamine (4 mg.), riboflavin (4 mg.), calcium pantothenate (20 mg.), niacin (20 mg.), pyridoxine (4 mg.), folic acid (1 mg.), biotin (0.10 mg.), B r 2 (50 ;j.g.) or a placebo consisting of distilled water. Mortality and remission of polyneuritis were recorded over a seven day period. In experiment four, forty severely affected, newly-hatched turkey poults were selected for treatment. These birds, when removed from the hatching trays, were listless and quivered when stimulated. Many poults were lying on their sides or prostrate on their breasts with the back of the head actually touching the back of the poult. Some poults were prostrate on their breasts, feet extended back, legs were either in rigor or paddling and wings flapping. Each poult received a single subcutaneous
421
THIAMINE DEFICIENCY IN TURKEYS TABLE 1.—The effect of water soluble vitamins on the mortality of newly-hatched poults.1 Experiment 1 Mortality by da fi y
Vitamin treatment
1 2 2
Folic acid Biotin2 Pyridoxine HC12 Multivitamin 3 Multivitamin'+penicillin 4 Water
9 17 14 1 1 15
3
9 5 6 5 14 5 0 0 1 1 6 10 3
6 S 4 0 6
29 33 37 1 9 34
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The injection of multiple vitamins was effective in decreasing the mortality and preventing the continued occurrence of deficiency symptoms in newly-hatched poults (Tables 1 and 2). High mortality was obTABLE 2.—The effect of parenteral B-vitamins on deficient turkey poults. Experiment 2 Mortality at end of 7 days 2
Vitamin treatment Female
8 5 5 1 4 6
4.0 4.0 20.0 20.0 4.0 1.0 0.1
Thiamine HC1 Riboflavin Ca pantothenate Niacin Pyridoxine HC1 Folic acid Biotin
mg. mg. mg. mg. mg. mg. mg.
50.0 „g.
Bl2
Water 1 2
Male
Female
0 7 4 9 9 11 7 25 6
0 2 4 2 3 14 11 26 3
Each level contained in a volume of 1 ml. Recorded at end of 7 days.
served where water, folic acid, biotin or pyridoxine was injected. The results of experiment three (Table 3) indicated that of the 9 B-vitamins tested, only thiamine was effective in preventing mortality and causing a disappearance of the symptoms. The results presented in Table 4 illustrate the dramatic response obtained from thiamine injection. Within 45 minutes after injection the first poult was able to stand and within 8 hours, 37 of the 40 birds were moving almost normally; only three birds did not recover. In studies with Coturnix, all hatches from breeding flocks at the University of Georgia contained a small number (1-5%) with the classical symptoms of polyneuritis (weakness, retracted head). These newlyTABLE 4.—Antidotal effect of parenteral thiamine1 on severely affected turkey poults. Experiment 4 Number of poults responding Hours after injection
D
^ ^ trembling
Standing
40 35 15 10 5 0
0 5 25 30 35 37
Dead
1
For levels used see Table 1, footnotes 2,3, and 4. Each treatment utilized 10 male and 10 female poults. 2
1 Each poult received 136 fig. of thiamine HC1 in 0.22 ml. distilled water.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
0.22 ml. injection of distilled water containing 136 [ig. of thiamine. Observations were made hourly for the remission of the nervous symptoms.
Folic acid Biotin Pyridoxine HC1 Multivitamin Multivitamin+penicillin Water
Mortality (30 poults/treatment) 2
Level
4
Each treatment utilized 130 male poults on new shavings in a commerical brooder house. 2 Each vitamin treatment consisted of the following amounts of vitamins given in 0.2 cc. of water: Folic acid — 20 /jg. per poult Biotin —430 fig. per poult Pyridoxine HO—700 jug. per poult 3 Multivitamin mix, 0.2 cc. given to each poult contained: Thiamine HC1 — 50 Mg. Riboflavin — 10 \i%. Niacin —500 /*g. Pyridoxine HC1 — 25 jug. Ca pantothenate— 25 ng. 4 Penicillin—60,000 units given in 0.2 cc. to each poult.
Male
Vitamin1 treatment
Total
1
1
TABLE 3.—Response to single B-vitamin injection. Experiment 3
422
0 . W. CHARLES, D. A. ROLAND AND H. M. EDWARDS, JR.
ther suboptimal dietary levels or to the presence of thiamine anti-metabolites. Since Amprolium was the most likely thiamine inhibitor, the breeder feed as well as all feed materials were checked for its presence; none was detected. Other possible thiamine inhibitors would include parathiamine, oxithiamine and sodium bisulfite materials, but no tests were conducted for the presence of these materials in the breeder feed or ingredients. When turkey poults hatched from these deficient hens were injected with the multiple vitamin mix (Table 1) or a single thiamine injection of 136 (xg., normal growth and livability occurred. When thiamine was added to the breeder ration at the rate of 2 mg./kg., thiamine deficiency symptoms in the turkey poults were eliminated. REFERENCES Armintrout, M., H. F. Heil and T. W. Sullivan, 1964. The young turkey's requirement for pyridoxine and thiamine. Poultry Sci. 4 3 : 1301. Howes, C. E., and F. B. Hutt, 1956. Genetic variation in efficiency of thiamine utilization by the domestic fowl. Poultry Sci. 35: 1223-1229. Lamoreux, W. F., and F. B. Hutt, 1939. Breed differences in resistance to a deficiency of vitamin Bi in the fowl. J. Agr. Res. 58: 307-316. Mayfield, H. L., R. R. Roehm and A. F. Beeckler, 1955. Riboflavin and thiamine content of eggs from New Hampshire and White Leghorn hens fed diets containing condensed fish or dried whale solubles. Poultry Sci. 34: 1106-1111. National Academy of Sciences—National Research Council, 1959. Joint United States-Canadian Table of Feed Composition, Publication No. 659, P. 11. Nichita, G., and G. Iftimesco, 1934. Recherches sur 1'avitaminose du complexe B chez les poules Leghorn blanches. Ann. Inst. Nat. Zootech, Roumanie 3 : 79-84. Polin, D., W. H., Ott, E. R. Wunosky and C. C. Porter, 1963. Estimation of thiamine requirement for optimum hatchability from the relationship between dietary and yolk levels of the vitamin. Poultry Sci. 42: 925-928.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
hatched quail responded positively to thiamine injection. The breeder flocks used to produce these quail had received a practical type turkey breeder ration containing no supplemental thiamine. When this diet was supplemented with thiamine, the appearance of the polyneuritis symptoms in subsequent hatches of quail was prevented. This turkey breeder ration was calculated to contain 3.2 mg./kg. of thiamine. Corn provided the major source of thiamine in this ration and the value of 3.6 mg. thiamine/kg. of corn was used in the calculations. Since this value is an average and may vary by at least 50% (Scott et al, 1969; and NRC Publication Number 659) it is possible that this ration contained onehalf this amount of thiamine. The National Research Council does not publish a minimum thiamine requirement for turkey breeders. However, it indicated that breeder hens have a minimum requirement for thiamine of 0.8 mg./kg. (Polin et al., 1963). Thus the possibility exists that turkeys and quail have a higher requirement for thiamine in the breeder ration than the breeding chicken. The possibility of this being the case is strengthened by the knowledge (Nichita and Iftimesco, 1934; Lamoreux and Hutt, 1939; Scrimshaw et al, 1945; Mayfield et al, 1955; and Howes and Hutt, 1956) that light breed chickens have a greater resistance to thiamine deficiency than heavy breeds and that this resistance is attributed to a higher thiamine concentration in the yolks of light breeds. Thus it is possible that the turkey and quail require larger amounts of thiamine in the diet in order to obtain minimum levels in the eggs for hatchability and livability as compared with certain breeds of chickens. It is apparent from these studies that these poults were hatching with very low, if any, reserves of thiamine. Thiamine deficiencies may be due to ei-
423
THIAMINE DEFICIENCY IN TURKEYS Robenalt, R. C , 1960. The thiamine requirement of young turkey poults. Poultry Sci. 39: 354360. Scott, M. L., M. C. Nesheim and R. J. Young, 1969. Nutrition of the Chicken. M. L. Scott and Associates, Publishers, P. 177. Scrimshaw, N. S., F. B. Hutt, M. W. Scrimshaw
and C. R. Sullivan, 1945. The effect of genetic variation in the fowl on the thiamine content of the egg. J. Nutrition, 30: 375-383. Sullivan, T. W., H. M. Heil and M. E. Armintrout, 1967. Dietary thiamine and pyridoxine requirement of young turkeys. Poultry Sci. 46: 1560-1564.
Microbiology of Commercial Turkey Deboning 1
(Received for publication July 3, 1971) ABSTRACT Swab and direct microbiological samples of equipment, clothing, turkey skin and turkey meat were obtained from four commercial turkey deboning plants operating on a year round basis. Total numbers of aerobes and coliforms were determined and all cultures were tested for staphylococci and salmonellae. Taken all together, the microbial data indicate that turkey further processing was being conducted under reasonably sanitary conditions in these plants and that potentially dangerous microorganisms such as staphylococci and salmonellae were infrequently present and when present they occurred in low numbers. There were no differences of importance in bacteriological findings at a plant where conventional boning methods and equipment with loose shackles were changed to new handling methods and rigid shackles. POULTRY SCIENCE 51: 423-427,
EBONED turkey products manufacturing has grown from small scale to large commercial conveyorized operations. In 1970, 42.8 percent of all turkeys under Federal inspection were used for cutup and further-processing on a ready-tocook basis (U.S.D.A., 1971). This study was undertaken for the purpose of making qualitative as well as quantative determinations of the bacteria on equipment, clothing, turkey skin, and turkey meat in typical turkey deboning plants. The project was also designed to observe any microbiological changes in a plant when conventional conveyorized equipment and procedures were changed to new equipment and handling methods. Little has been published on the micro-
D
1
Research carried out under cooperative agreement between the University of California, Davis, and the Transportation and Facilities Research Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
1972
biology of raw turkey deboning and further processing. Gunderson et al. (1954) reported uncooked, frozen turkeys averaged 313,000 viable bacteria per gram after thawing. Walker and Ayers (1959) found 44,000 organisms per cm.2 on the skin surface of 30 commercially eviscerated turkeys in 5 plants sampled. They also found 10 to 3,100 staphylococci and from 10 to 1,200 coliforms per cm.2 in the cavity of eviscerated turkeys. Wilkerson et al. (1961) found median counts of 1 coliform and 1,300 aerobes per cm.2 on the skin surface of commercially rinsed, eviscerated turkey carcasses. Bryan et al. (1968a) reported 17 percent of the chilled, graded turkey carcasses in one processing plant contaminated with salmonellae. Bryan et al. (1968b) also reported finding salmonellae on 12 percent of the chilled, eviscerated turkey carcasses, 27 percent of the finished product samples and 24 percent of the processing equipment
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
A. W. BRANT AND C. W. GUION University of California, Davis, California 95616
POULTKY SCIENCE 51: 419-423,
HE thiamine requirement for maximum hatchability in chickens has been reported by Polin et al. (1963). These workers reported that a minimum yolk level of 0.63 p.p.m. of thiamine was necessary for maximum hatchability. Their data indicated that a normal dietary level of 0.68 p.p.m. would produce this level of thiamine in the yolk. Sullivan et al. (1967) and Robenalt, (1960), reported the thiamine requirement of young turkey poults to be between 1.2 and 2 p.p.m. Armintrout et al. (1964), suggested that the requirement for thiamine by the young turkey increases with age. Little is known of the frequency of thiamine deficiency among commercial turkey flocks. The natural abundance of thiamine in feed ingredients suggests that the condition is rare. However, borderline cases may occasionally go unrecognized. The present studies were initiated to investigate a field problem apparently related to thiamine deficiency in newly-hatched turkey poults and a polyneuritis condition observed in Coturnix quail. Symptoms typical
T
1 University of Georgia, College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, Journal Series No. 1117, College Station, Athens.
1972
of classical polyneuritis caused by thiamine deficiency (Figure 1) occurred in newlyhatched poults produced from hens in their sixth week of egg production. Since the thiamine level of the breeder ration was calculated conservatively to be in excess of 3 p.p.m., no supplemental thiamine had been added. The studies in this report were conducted to determine if the administration of one or more B-complex vitamins would cause the remission of these symptoms and improve livability of the poults. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
A small number (1-5%) of all newlyhatched Coturnix quail at the University of Georgia was affected with a polyneuritis like condition. The breeder ration fed to the quail which produced these birds was a practical type turkey breeder feed which contained no supplemental thiamine. Newly-hatched quail affected by the polyneuritis condition were injected with thiamine. Quail breeder diets supplemented with 2.2 mg./kg. of thiamine were compared with unsupplemented breeder diets for the incidence of the polyneuritis symptoms.
419
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
ABSTRACT Day-old turkey poults were obtained from a commercial hatchery which hatched eggs from a particular flock of breeders that produced a considerable number (5-10%) of culls. These cull poults showed symptoms almost classical for polyneuritis. Injection of the poults with a combination vitamin mixture containing thiamine, or of thiamine alone, caused decreased mortality and a remission of symptoms. Poults injected with thiamine grew and developed normally when fed a practical type diet. The addition of 2 mg./kg. of thiamine to the breeder ration caused the condition to disappear in newlyhatched poults from the particular flock involved. Classical symptoms of polyneuritis were noted in newly-hatched quail from breeding flocks fed turkey breeder rations. These quail responded positively to thiamine injection.
420
0 . W. CHARLES, D. A. ROLAND AND H. M. EDWARDS, J R .
FIG. 1. Newly-hatched poult from a commercial hatchery showing retracted head and extended legs. The symptoms are similar to classical polyneuritis caused by thiamine deficiency. Recoverywas obtained in the present case by injection of thiamine.
Poults hatched from a single flock of 8month-old Large White turkey hens were used in these studies. Hatchability during the first five weeks of production had been normal. The percent culls and livability during the first four weeks of production were also normal. The fifth week, livability declined. During the sixth week, percentage of culls, which included dead and paralyzed, increased from 0.2 to 8.9 and mortality was also higher than during the previous week. The nervous syndrome characteristic of the deficiency is shown in Figure 1. To determine if the condition was related to B vitamin deficiency, a number of single and multiple subcutaneous vitamin injections of both healthy poults and those severely affected with the nervous syndrome were given. Mortality and the remission of nervous symptoms were used as criteria of effectiveness of the vitamin injections. In experiment one, normal male turkeys from the flock producing the defective progeny were used. One hundred thirty poults were assigned to each of six treatments. The treatments consisted of 0.2 ml.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
m4 v
subcutaneous injections of single or multiple vitamins as follows: 1. folic acid (20 \).g. per poult); 2. biotin (430 p.g. per poult); 3. pyridoxine HC1 (700 [Ag. per poult); and 4. a multi-vitamin antibiotic combination which supplied 50 \i.g. of thiamine, 10 ;j.g. of riboflavin, 500 \>.g. of niacin, 25 p.g. of pyridoxine, 25 \i.g. of calcium pantothenate and 60,000 units of penicillin per poult. Mortality and symptoms of polyneuritis were recorded daily for 4 days. In the second experiment, ten male and ten female newly-hatched turkey poults were randomized to each of six treatments. In contrast to the first experiment, poults severely affected with the polyneuritis condition were used. Each treatment consisted of 0.2 ml. subcutaneous injections of single and multiple vitamins at the levels used in experiment one. Mortality and remission of polyneuritis were observed for 4 days. Thirty male and 30 female day-old turkey poults were used in each of 9 treatments in experiment three. The treatments were 1 ml. subcutaneous single injections containing either thiamine (4 mg.), riboflavin (4 mg.), calcium pantothenate (20 mg.), niacin (20 mg.), pyridoxine (4 mg.), folic acid (1 mg.), biotin (0.10 mg.), B r 2 (50 ;j.g.) or a placebo consisting of distilled water. Mortality and remission of polyneuritis were recorded over a seven day period. In experiment four, forty severely affected, newly-hatched turkey poults were selected for treatment. These birds, when removed from the hatching trays, were listless and quivered when stimulated. Many poults were lying on their sides or prostrate on their breasts with the back of the head actually touching the back of the poult. Some poults were prostrate on their breasts, feet extended back, legs were either in rigor or paddling and wings flapping. Each poult received a single subcutaneous
421
THIAMINE DEFICIENCY IN TURKEYS TABLE 1.—The effect of water soluble vitamins on the mortality of newly-hatched poults.1 Experiment 1 Mortality by da fi y
Vitamin treatment
1 2 2
Folic acid Biotin2 Pyridoxine HC12 Multivitamin 3 Multivitamin'+penicillin 4 Water
9 17 14 1 1 15
3
9 5 6 5 14 5 0 0 1 1 6 10 3
6 S 4 0 6
29 33 37 1 9 34
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The injection of multiple vitamins was effective in decreasing the mortality and preventing the continued occurrence of deficiency symptoms in newly-hatched poults (Tables 1 and 2). High mortality was obTABLE 2.—The effect of parenteral B-vitamins on deficient turkey poults. Experiment 2 Mortality at end of 7 days 2
Vitamin treatment Female
8 5 5 1 4 6
4.0 4.0 20.0 20.0 4.0 1.0 0.1
Thiamine HC1 Riboflavin Ca pantothenate Niacin Pyridoxine HC1 Folic acid Biotin
mg. mg. mg. mg. mg. mg. mg.
50.0 „g.
Bl2
Water 1 2
Male
Female
0 7 4 9 9 11 7 25 6
0 2 4 2 3 14 11 26 3
Each level contained in a volume of 1 ml. Recorded at end of 7 days.
served where water, folic acid, biotin or pyridoxine was injected. The results of experiment three (Table 3) indicated that of the 9 B-vitamins tested, only thiamine was effective in preventing mortality and causing a disappearance of the symptoms. The results presented in Table 4 illustrate the dramatic response obtained from thiamine injection. Within 45 minutes after injection the first poult was able to stand and within 8 hours, 37 of the 40 birds were moving almost normally; only three birds did not recover. In studies with Coturnix, all hatches from breeding flocks at the University of Georgia contained a small number (1-5%) with the classical symptoms of polyneuritis (weakness, retracted head). These newlyTABLE 4.—Antidotal effect of parenteral thiamine1 on severely affected turkey poults. Experiment 4 Number of poults responding Hours after injection
D
^ ^ trembling
Standing
40 35 15 10 5 0
0 5 25 30 35 37
Dead
1
For levels used see Table 1, footnotes 2,3, and 4. Each treatment utilized 10 male and 10 female poults. 2
1 Each poult received 136 fig. of thiamine HC1 in 0.22 ml. distilled water.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
0.22 ml. injection of distilled water containing 136 [ig. of thiamine. Observations were made hourly for the remission of the nervous symptoms.
Folic acid Biotin Pyridoxine HC1 Multivitamin Multivitamin+penicillin Water
Mortality (30 poults/treatment) 2
Level
4
Each treatment utilized 130 male poults on new shavings in a commerical brooder house. 2 Each vitamin treatment consisted of the following amounts of vitamins given in 0.2 cc. of water: Folic acid — 20 /jg. per poult Biotin —430 fig. per poult Pyridoxine HO—700 jug. per poult 3 Multivitamin mix, 0.2 cc. given to each poult contained: Thiamine HC1 — 50 Mg. Riboflavin — 10 \i%. Niacin —500 /*g. Pyridoxine HC1 — 25 jug. Ca pantothenate— 25 ng. 4 Penicillin—60,000 units given in 0.2 cc. to each poult.
Male
Vitamin1 treatment
Total
1
1
TABLE 3.—Response to single B-vitamin injection. Experiment 3
422
0 . W. CHARLES, D. A. ROLAND AND H. M. EDWARDS, JR.
ther suboptimal dietary levels or to the presence of thiamine anti-metabolites. Since Amprolium was the most likely thiamine inhibitor, the breeder feed as well as all feed materials were checked for its presence; none was detected. Other possible thiamine inhibitors would include parathiamine, oxithiamine and sodium bisulfite materials, but no tests were conducted for the presence of these materials in the breeder feed or ingredients. When turkey poults hatched from these deficient hens were injected with the multiple vitamin mix (Table 1) or a single thiamine injection of 136 (xg., normal growth and livability occurred. When thiamine was added to the breeder ration at the rate of 2 mg./kg., thiamine deficiency symptoms in the turkey poults were eliminated. REFERENCES Armintrout, M., H. F. Heil and T. W. Sullivan, 1964. The young turkey's requirement for pyridoxine and thiamine. Poultry Sci. 4 3 : 1301. Howes, C. E., and F. B. Hutt, 1956. Genetic variation in efficiency of thiamine utilization by the domestic fowl. Poultry Sci. 35: 1223-1229. Lamoreux, W. F., and F. B. Hutt, 1939. Breed differences in resistance to a deficiency of vitamin Bi in the fowl. J. Agr. Res. 58: 307-316. Mayfield, H. L., R. R. Roehm and A. F. Beeckler, 1955. Riboflavin and thiamine content of eggs from New Hampshire and White Leghorn hens fed diets containing condensed fish or dried whale solubles. Poultry Sci. 34: 1106-1111. National Academy of Sciences—National Research Council, 1959. Joint United States-Canadian Table of Feed Composition, Publication No. 659, P. 11. Nichita, G., and G. Iftimesco, 1934. Recherches sur 1'avitaminose du complexe B chez les poules Leghorn blanches. Ann. Inst. Nat. Zootech, Roumanie 3 : 79-84. Polin, D., W. H., Ott, E. R. Wunosky and C. C. Porter, 1963. Estimation of thiamine requirement for optimum hatchability from the relationship between dietary and yolk levels of the vitamin. Poultry Sci. 42: 925-928.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Tasmania Library on May 21, 2015
hatched quail responded positively to thiamine injection. The breeder flocks used to produce these quail had received a practical type turkey breeder ration containing no supplemental thiamine. When this diet was supplemented with thiamine, the appearance of the polyneuritis symptoms in subsequent hatches of quail was prevented. This turkey breeder ration was calculated to contain 3.2 mg./kg. of thiamine. Corn provided the major source of thiamine in this ration and the value of 3.6 mg. thiamine/kg. of corn was used in the calculations. Since this value is an average and may vary by at least 50% (Scott et al, 1969; and NRC Publication Number 659) it is possible that this ration contained onehalf this amount of thiamine. The National Research Council does not publish a minimum thiamine requirement for turkey breeders. However, it indicated that breeder hens have a minimum requirement for thiamine of 0.8 mg./kg. (Polin et al., 1963). Thus the possibility exists that turkeys and quail have a higher requirement for thiamine in the breeder ration than the breeding chicken. The possibility of this being the case is strengthened by the knowledge (Nichita and Iftimesco, 1934; Lamoreux and Hutt, 1939; Scrimshaw et al, 1945; Mayfield et al, 1955; and Howes and Hutt, 1956) that light breed chickens have a greater resistance to thiamine deficiency than heavy breeds and that this resistance is attributed to a higher thiamine concentration in the yolks of light breeds. Thus it is possible that the turkey and quail require larger amounts of thiamine in the diet in order to obtain minimum levels in the eggs for hatchability and livability as compared with certain breeds of chickens. It is apparent from these studies that these poults were hatching with very low, if any, reserves of thiamine. Thiamine deficiencies may be due to ei-
423
THIAMINE DEFICIENCY IN TURKEYS Robenalt, R. C , 1960. The thiamine requirement of young turkey poults. Poultry Sci. 39: 354360. Scott, M. L., M. C. Nesheim and R. J. Young, 1969. Nutrition of the Chicken. M. L. Scott and Associates, Publishers, P. 177. Scrimshaw, N. S., F. B. Hutt, M. W. Scrimshaw
and C. R. Sullivan, 1945. The effect of genetic variation in the fowl on the thiamine content of the egg. J. Nutrition, 30: 375-383. Sullivan, T. W., H. M. Heil and M. E. Armintrout, 1967. Dietary thiamine and pyridoxine requirement of young turkeys. Poultry Sci. 46: 1560-1564.
Microbiology of Commercial Turkey Deboning 1
(Received for publication July 3, 1971) ABSTRACT Swab and direct microbiological samples of equipment, clothing, turkey skin and turkey meat were obtained from four commercial turkey deboning plants operating on a year round basis. Total numbers of aerobes and coliforms were determined and all cultures were tested for staphylococci and salmonellae. Taken all together, the microbial data indicate that turkey further processing was being conducted under reasonably sanitary conditions in these plants and that potentially dangerous microorganisms such as staphylococci and salmonellae were infrequently present and when present they occurred in low numbers. There were no differences of importance in bacteriological findings at a plant where conventional boning methods and equipment with loose shackles were changed to new handling methods and rigid shackles. POULTRY SCIENCE 51: 423-427,
EBONED turkey products manufacturing has grown from small scale to large commercial conveyorized operations. In 1970, 42.8 percent of all turkeys under Federal inspection were used for cutup and further-processing on a ready-tocook basis (U.S.D.A., 1971). This study was undertaken for the purpose of making qualitative as well as quantative determinations of the bacteria on equipment, clothing, turkey skin, and turkey meat in typical turkey deboning plants. The project was also designed to observe any microbiological changes in a plant when conventional conveyorized equipment and procedures were changed to new equipment and handling methods. Little has been published on the micro-
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Research carried out under cooperative agreement between the University of California, Davis, and the Transportation and Facilities Research Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
1972
biology of raw turkey deboning and further processing. Gunderson et al. (1954) reported uncooked, frozen turkeys averaged 313,000 viable bacteria per gram after thawing. Walker and Ayers (1959) found 44,000 organisms per cm.2 on the skin surface of 30 commercially eviscerated turkeys in 5 plants sampled. They also found 10 to 3,100 staphylococci and from 10 to 1,200 coliforms per cm.2 in the cavity of eviscerated turkeys. Wilkerson et al. (1961) found median counts of 1 coliform and 1,300 aerobes per cm.2 on the skin surface of commercially rinsed, eviscerated turkey carcasses. Bryan et al. (1968a) reported 17 percent of the chilled, graded turkey carcasses in one processing plant contaminated with salmonellae. Bryan et al. (1968b) also reported finding salmonellae on 12 percent of the chilled, eviscerated turkey carcasses, 27 percent of the finished product samples and 24 percent of the processing equipment
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A. W. BRANT AND C. W. GUION University of California, Davis, California 95616