- Email: [email protected]
Abnormal Feathering of Pen-Reared Bobwhites
Abnormal Feathering of Pen-Reared Bobwhites R A L P H B.
NESTLER AND LEONARD M.
LLEWELLYN
Biologists, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Received for publication August 16, 1943)
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
The chicks were from pen-reared parent stock and had been hatched in an incubator during June 1942. For the first three weeks they were kept in electric battery brooders, 22.5 by 35.0 by 9.5 inches, and then transferred to field brooders for the following two weeks. Brooding temperature under the hover was maintained at 98°F. for the first week, and then reduced 5 degrees each week thereafter, until the heat was cut off during the fourth week. For the first experiment, 22 chicks were distributed into each of 16 brooder units; for the second experiment, 37 were placed in each of 16 units. They were supplied with feed, water, and grit. Eight diets were tested. Each one was fed to duplicate units on each experiment. All diets contained 10 percent red proso millet, 5 percent dehydrated alfalfa leaf meal, 1 percent salt mixture,1 ground yellow corn, "The salt mixture had the following formula: common salt, 50.0 parts; anhydrous manganous sulfate, 0.85 parts; anhydrous ferrous sulfate, 0.55 parts; anhydrous copper sulfate, 0.02 parts; potassium iodide, 0.035 parts; anhydrous sodium thiosulfate, 0.032 parts; and calcium carbonate, 0.035 parts.
soybean oil meal, special steamed bonemeal, and ground limestone. The diets were balanced so as to contain approximately 28 percent crude protein, 1.1 percent calcium, 0.7 percent phosphorus, at least 2,400 I.U. of vitamin A, at least 530 I.U. of thiamin, and at least 540 I.U. of vitamin D. One battery unit of birds on each diet received 0.3 percent of vitamin A and D feeding oil fortified; whereas the corresponding unit on each diet was given D-activiated animal sterol (450,000 I.U. of vitamin D per pound) in such quantity, namely 0.12 percent, as to furnish a quantity of vitamin D equivalent to that furnished by the oil. The riboflavin content of the diets ranged in estimated potency from approximately 1,340 micrograms in diet 1 to approximately 2,870 micrograms in diet 8. The following levels of dried milk products were compared: Diet 1 2
Milk Products Dried Whey Dried Buttermilk percent percent 0.0 0.0 3.0 0.0
3 4
3.0 3.0
2.S S.O
5 6 7 8
3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
7.5 10.0 12.5 15.0
OBSERVATIONS ON ABNORMAL FEATHERING
When the birds of experiment 1 were weighed at the end of the second week, an abnormal feather growth was noticed
[72]
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universite de Sherbrooke on April 12, 2015
AN ABNORMAL growth of juvenal • * \ . wing-feathers occurred in pen-reared Bobwhite quail at the age of two weeks on two experiments planned to determine the optimum level of dried milk products in a diet for growing quail.
73
ABNORMAL FEATHERING OF PEN-REARED BOBWHITES TABLE 1.—Effect
of various levels of dried milk products on feathering of pen-reared quail
Level of dried-milkproducts in diet
3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3%
whey whey whey whey whey whey
8 10 11 18 23 29.25 39 58.5
Percent of birds representing each degree of abnormal feathering Very slight
Slight
Medium
Severe
1 4.5 4 6 8.5 9 12 26
2
1 1 1 1
5 5.5 4 11 9 15.5 14 5
on many of them, especially those fed the diet containing no milk products. The number of cases decreased as the level of milk in the diet was increased (Table 1). This abnormal condition, occurred in both primary and secondary feathers of the wings, with a corresponding stunting of the tail and body feathers. It manifested itself in all degrees from a barely discernible curve of the primary shafts toward the second finger of the wing, and the secondary shafts toward the body, through a condition where certain feathers had the upper part of the vane twisted completely around backwards, to a badly stunted, twisted condition starting in the quill within the trailing edge of the wing. At the end of six weeks this distortion of the juvenal wing feathers was very prominent as depicted in Figures 1 and 2. It will be noted in Table 1 that the diet containing IS percent dried buttermilk, which theoretically should have had the least number of cases, in actuality had 2 percent more than that containing 12.5 percent dried buttermilk. However, the latter had a few cases which showed more deformity than the former. In any case, the condition was not completely rectified even when 15 percent dried buttermilk and 3 percent dried whey were incorporated into the diet. That this condition is partially the result of a deficiency of riboflavin is indi-
Very severe
2 4.5 3.75 13 24
3.5
cated by a supplementary test run to clarify this point. Twenty-five day-old chicks
FIG. 1. Abnormal wing feathering of six-weekold quail. (A) Slight case. Secondaries curved slightly at X. (B and C) Two types of severe cases. »
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universite de Sherbrooke on April 12, 2015
12$% buttermilk, 15% buttermilk, 10% buttermilk, 1\% buttermilk, 5% buttermilk, 2J% buttermilk, 3 % whey No milk products
Percent of birds with all degrees of abnormal feathering
74
RALPH B. NESTLER AND LEONARD M.
LLEWELLYN
were placed in each of three battery brooder units. The control unit received the diet containing no milk by-products. The second unit received the control diet supplemented with approximately 2,270 micrograms riboflavin per pound of feed, and the third unit received the control diet supplemented with approximately 2,270 micrograms pantothenic acid per pound of feed. At the end of the first two weeks, over SO percent of the birds on the control diet showed the abnormality in some degree (Table 2), whereas only 17 percent of the quail on the diet supplemented with riboflavin showed the unnatural condition. However, despite approximately 3,600 micrograms of riboflavin in the diet, some twisting of the feathers still occurred. The TABLE 2.—Effect
Control plus riboflavin Control plus pantothenic acid Control (no milk products)
SUMMARY
Two experiments were conducted with 944 pen-reared Bobwhite quail chicks to
acid and riboflavin on feathering of pen-reared quail
of supplementary
Diet
birds on the diet supplemented with pantothenic acid showed fewer cases than those on the control diet, but more than twice as many as those on the diet supplemented with riboflavin. In addition to the marked dietary effect mentioned above, there was also a striking effect of the D-activated animal sterol on the feathering, in comparison with the vitamin A and D feeding oil fortified. On each of the eight diets of both experiments, the incidence of malformation was less with the former vitamin concentrate than with the latter (Table 3).
Percent of birds representing each degree of abnormal feathering
Percent of birds with all degrees of abnormal feathering
Slight
Medium
Severe
Very severe
17 41 52
4 9 13
4 4.5 4
9 22.5 26.5
5 8.5
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universite de Sherbrooke on April 12, 2015
FIG. 2. Malformation of wing primaries of six-week-old quail. Feather X is normal.
ABNORMAL FEATHERING OF PEN-REARED BOBWHITES TABLE 3.—Comparative eject of mtamin A and D feeding oil fortified and D-activated animal sterol oil feathering of pen-reared quail
Level of dried milk products in diet
Vitamin A a n d D D-activated feeding oil forti- animal sterol tified 10 12 16 23.5 29.5 40 45 71 31.5
6 9 8 13 18 19 33.5 47.5 19
determine the optimum level of dried milk products in a diet in which no other
animal protein concentrate was included. An abnormal juvenal feather growth, in which primary and secondary wing feathers were curved, twisted, stunted, and, in some cases, frizzled, occurred among many of the birds; It was most prevalent on the diet containing no dried milk products. The incidence diminished as the percentage of milk products in the diet was increased, but appeared in a few birds even on the diet containing IS percent dried buttermilk and 3 percent dried whey. A deficiency of riboflavin (vitamin G) apparently is the major, but not sole, cause of the abnormality. The incidence of the malformation was also consistently and significantly greater among the birds receiving vitamin A and D feeding oil fortified, than among those receiving D-activated animal sterol.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universite de Sherbrooke on April 12, 2015
121% buttermilk, 3 % whey 15% buttermilk, 3 % whey 1 0 | % buttermilk, 3 % whey 7 1 % buttermilk, 3 % whey 5 % buttermilk, 3 % whey 2 1 % buttermilk, 3 % whey 3 % whey No milk products (Composite of all diets)
Percent of quail with abnormal feathering on each vitamin supplement
75
NESTLER AND LEONARD M.
LLEWELLYN
Biologists, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Received for publication August 16, 1943)
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
The chicks were from pen-reared parent stock and had been hatched in an incubator during June 1942. For the first three weeks they were kept in electric battery brooders, 22.5 by 35.0 by 9.5 inches, and then transferred to field brooders for the following two weeks. Brooding temperature under the hover was maintained at 98°F. for the first week, and then reduced 5 degrees each week thereafter, until the heat was cut off during the fourth week. For the first experiment, 22 chicks were distributed into each of 16 brooder units; for the second experiment, 37 were placed in each of 16 units. They were supplied with feed, water, and grit. Eight diets were tested. Each one was fed to duplicate units on each experiment. All diets contained 10 percent red proso millet, 5 percent dehydrated alfalfa leaf meal, 1 percent salt mixture,1 ground yellow corn, "The salt mixture had the following formula: common salt, 50.0 parts; anhydrous manganous sulfate, 0.85 parts; anhydrous ferrous sulfate, 0.55 parts; anhydrous copper sulfate, 0.02 parts; potassium iodide, 0.035 parts; anhydrous sodium thiosulfate, 0.032 parts; and calcium carbonate, 0.035 parts.
soybean oil meal, special steamed bonemeal, and ground limestone. The diets were balanced so as to contain approximately 28 percent crude protein, 1.1 percent calcium, 0.7 percent phosphorus, at least 2,400 I.U. of vitamin A, at least 530 I.U. of thiamin, and at least 540 I.U. of vitamin D. One battery unit of birds on each diet received 0.3 percent of vitamin A and D feeding oil fortified; whereas the corresponding unit on each diet was given D-activiated animal sterol (450,000 I.U. of vitamin D per pound) in such quantity, namely 0.12 percent, as to furnish a quantity of vitamin D equivalent to that furnished by the oil. The riboflavin content of the diets ranged in estimated potency from approximately 1,340 micrograms in diet 1 to approximately 2,870 micrograms in diet 8. The following levels of dried milk products were compared: Diet 1 2
Milk Products Dried Whey Dried Buttermilk percent percent 0.0 0.0 3.0 0.0
3 4
3.0 3.0
2.S S.O
5 6 7 8
3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
7.5 10.0 12.5 15.0
OBSERVATIONS ON ABNORMAL FEATHERING
When the birds of experiment 1 were weighed at the end of the second week, an abnormal feather growth was noticed
[72]
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universite de Sherbrooke on April 12, 2015
AN ABNORMAL growth of juvenal • * \ . wing-feathers occurred in pen-reared Bobwhite quail at the age of two weeks on two experiments planned to determine the optimum level of dried milk products in a diet for growing quail.
73
ABNORMAL FEATHERING OF PEN-REARED BOBWHITES TABLE 1.—Effect
of various levels of dried milk products on feathering of pen-reared quail
Level of dried-milkproducts in diet
3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3%
whey whey whey whey whey whey
8 10 11 18 23 29.25 39 58.5
Percent of birds representing each degree of abnormal feathering Very slight
Slight
Medium
Severe
1 4.5 4 6 8.5 9 12 26
2
1 1 1 1
5 5.5 4 11 9 15.5 14 5
on many of them, especially those fed the diet containing no milk products. The number of cases decreased as the level of milk in the diet was increased (Table 1). This abnormal condition, occurred in both primary and secondary feathers of the wings, with a corresponding stunting of the tail and body feathers. It manifested itself in all degrees from a barely discernible curve of the primary shafts toward the second finger of the wing, and the secondary shafts toward the body, through a condition where certain feathers had the upper part of the vane twisted completely around backwards, to a badly stunted, twisted condition starting in the quill within the trailing edge of the wing. At the end of six weeks this distortion of the juvenal wing feathers was very prominent as depicted in Figures 1 and 2. It will be noted in Table 1 that the diet containing IS percent dried buttermilk, which theoretically should have had the least number of cases, in actuality had 2 percent more than that containing 12.5 percent dried buttermilk. However, the latter had a few cases which showed more deformity than the former. In any case, the condition was not completely rectified even when 15 percent dried buttermilk and 3 percent dried whey were incorporated into the diet. That this condition is partially the result of a deficiency of riboflavin is indi-
Very severe
2 4.5 3.75 13 24
3.5
cated by a supplementary test run to clarify this point. Twenty-five day-old chicks
FIG. 1. Abnormal wing feathering of six-weekold quail. (A) Slight case. Secondaries curved slightly at X. (B and C) Two types of severe cases. »
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universite de Sherbrooke on April 12, 2015
12$% buttermilk, 15% buttermilk, 10% buttermilk, 1\% buttermilk, 5% buttermilk, 2J% buttermilk, 3 % whey No milk products
Percent of birds with all degrees of abnormal feathering
74
RALPH B. NESTLER AND LEONARD M.
LLEWELLYN
were placed in each of three battery brooder units. The control unit received the diet containing no milk by-products. The second unit received the control diet supplemented with approximately 2,270 micrograms riboflavin per pound of feed, and the third unit received the control diet supplemented with approximately 2,270 micrograms pantothenic acid per pound of feed. At the end of the first two weeks, over SO percent of the birds on the control diet showed the abnormality in some degree (Table 2), whereas only 17 percent of the quail on the diet supplemented with riboflavin showed the unnatural condition. However, despite approximately 3,600 micrograms of riboflavin in the diet, some twisting of the feathers still occurred. The TABLE 2.—Effect
Control plus riboflavin Control plus pantothenic acid Control (no milk products)
SUMMARY
Two experiments were conducted with 944 pen-reared Bobwhite quail chicks to
acid and riboflavin on feathering of pen-reared quail
of supplementary
Diet
birds on the diet supplemented with pantothenic acid showed fewer cases than those on the control diet, but more than twice as many as those on the diet supplemented with riboflavin. In addition to the marked dietary effect mentioned above, there was also a striking effect of the D-activated animal sterol on the feathering, in comparison with the vitamin A and D feeding oil fortified. On each of the eight diets of both experiments, the incidence of malformation was less with the former vitamin concentrate than with the latter (Table 3).
Percent of birds representing each degree of abnormal feathering
Percent of birds with all degrees of abnormal feathering
Slight
Medium
Severe
Very severe
17 41 52
4 9 13
4 4.5 4
9 22.5 26.5
5 8.5
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universite de Sherbrooke on April 12, 2015
FIG. 2. Malformation of wing primaries of six-week-old quail. Feather X is normal.
ABNORMAL FEATHERING OF PEN-REARED BOBWHITES TABLE 3.—Comparative eject of mtamin A and D feeding oil fortified and D-activated animal sterol oil feathering of pen-reared quail
Level of dried milk products in diet
Vitamin A a n d D D-activated feeding oil forti- animal sterol tified 10 12 16 23.5 29.5 40 45 71 31.5
6 9 8 13 18 19 33.5 47.5 19
determine the optimum level of dried milk products in a diet in which no other
animal protein concentrate was included. An abnormal juvenal feather growth, in which primary and secondary wing feathers were curved, twisted, stunted, and, in some cases, frizzled, occurred among many of the birds; It was most prevalent on the diet containing no dried milk products. The incidence diminished as the percentage of milk products in the diet was increased, but appeared in a few birds even on the diet containing IS percent dried buttermilk and 3 percent dried whey. A deficiency of riboflavin (vitamin G) apparently is the major, but not sole, cause of the abnormality. The incidence of the malformation was also consistently and significantly greater among the birds receiving vitamin A and D feeding oil fortified, than among those receiving D-activated animal sterol.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Universite de Sherbrooke on April 12, 2015
121% buttermilk, 3 % whey 15% buttermilk, 3 % whey 1 0 | % buttermilk, 3 % whey 7 1 % buttermilk, 3 % whey 5 % buttermilk, 3 % whey 2 1 % buttermilk, 3 % whey 3 % whey No milk products (Composite of all diets)
Percent of quail with abnormal feathering on each vitamin supplement
75