LIBRARY, fPA 8: l! COLLEGE, CAMPUS. I Rso-sss-ism AGRICULTURAL? txvelumaui STATION IZQULLETIN NO. 528 SEPTEMBER, 1936 i DIVISION OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY AND DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY I _.' _ Callege 3% fiallage of Texas ‘a The Quantities 0f VitamlnexaRequired By Growing Chicks ' I} AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE 0F TEXAS T. 0. WALTON, President 11.) The vitamin A in the feed of the hen laying the eggs from which the chicks are hatched and the vitamin A intake of the chicks must be adequate if good results are to be obtained. These experi- ments showed that chicks hatched from eggs laid by hens receiv- ing 265 Sherman-Munsell units of vitamin A per day (or 325 units per 100 grams of feed) had low vitality. The mortality of the chicks for the first eight weeks on difierent vitamin A levels varied from 64.4 per cent for the chicks from the hens receiving 265 units a day (or 325 units per 100 grams of feed) to 38.5 per cent for the chicks from the hens receiving 539 units per day (or 655 units per 100 grams of feed). The mortality for the chicks from the hens fed the feed low in vitamin A was high regardless of the feed of the chick. Feeding the chick 300 units of vitamin A per 100 grams of feed did not overcome the effect of a deficiency of vitamin A in the feed for the laying hens; but the vitamin A requirements of chicks are higher for those hatched from eggs laid by hens receiving low amounts of vitamin A than for hens fed more liberal amounts. The experiments indicate that from 125 to 150 units of vitamin A potency, or 96 to 110 micrograms of carotene from alfalfa, or 114 to 136 micrograms of cryptoxanthin and carotene from yellow corn per 100 grams of feed, is suflicient for chicks hatched from eggs rich in vitamin A. Chicks hatched from eggs laid by hens receiving low amounts of vitamin A require larger amounts, possibly as high as 300 units of vitamin A potency, or 230 micrograms of carotene from alfalfa, or 270 micrograms of carotene from yellow corn per 100 grams of feed. CONTENTS Introduction _____ __ Summary Page 5 Method of procedure _, 5 Relation of the vitamin A requirement of the chick to the vitamin A in the ration fed the hen 6 Effect of vitamin A in the feed upon the mortality, health, and gain in weight of chicks from eggs high in vitamin A ____________________ __ 8 14 14 References BULLETIN NO. 5 2 8 SEPTEMBER, 1 9 3 6 THE QUANTITIES OF VITAMIN A REQUIRED BY GROWING CHICKS R. M. Sherwood, Chief Division of Poultry Husbandry G. S. Fraps, Chief Division of Chemistry Little information is available at the present time regarding the quantities of vitamin A required by growing chickens. Tepper and _Reid (7) report that one per cent of cod liver oil was satisfactory, but since the strength of the cod liver oil was not given in their study and since vitamin A is destroyed rapidly when mixed with ground feeds, as “shown by Fraps and Kemmerer (2), an estimate of the quantity of vitamin A required is hard to make. Bethke and Record (1) state that approximately 100 micrograms of carotene per 100 grams of basal ration was required to meet the basal requirements of vitamin A for the first 8 weeks of growing chickens. Sherwood and Fraps (4, 5, 6) have shown that the vitamin A require- ments of laying hens are high. They also showed that the vitamin A content of the eggs might vary as much as from 2 to 50 Sherman-Munsell units of vitamin A potency per gram of yolk. The quantity present in the egg was found to depend upon the quantity of vitamin A stored by the hens at the beginning of the laying period and the quantity of vitamin A consumed during the laying period, as well as upon the length of time the hens had been laying. Eggs laid by hens receiving insufli- ‘cient vitamin A in their feed had a low hatchability. Previous work has shown that eggs may have a good hatchability with only 11 Sherman- Munsell units of vitamin potency per gram of egg yolk. The work here reported is a study of the effect of the vitamin A con- tent of the feed of the hen, and of the feed of the chick, upon the health and growth of the chick. Method of Procedure p The chicks used in the 1933 work were hatched from eggs laid by I he hens used in the study of vitamin A requirements of laying hens, as Jeported in Bulletin 493. The eggs were hatched and the chicks cared {Tor under as nearly uniform conditions as it was possible to supply. The fingredients of the rations fed the first lot of hens are given in Table 1, Qand those “for the chicks are given in Tables 2, 5, and 6. The yellow écorn used was the same as that used in the experiments with hens and ithe vitamin A potency was determined by means of rats as described in §Bulletins 493 and 514. Mr. Ray Treichler was in charge of this estima- k In the 1933 experiments, each lot of chicks numbered from 30 in the 1934 experiments, 3 lots of‘ 25 to 26 chicks each were gplaced on each vitamin level; and in the 1935 experiments, two lots of E. 6 BULLETIN NO. 528, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 26 chicks each Were fed on each vitamin level. The chicks were fed for 8 weeks in 1933 and for 12 weeks in 1934 and 1935. In the 1933 and 1934 Work the chicks were exposed to direct sunlight for 3O minutes each Week. In the 1935 experiments cod liver oil in which the vitamin A had been destroyed by heat and aeration was fed for vitamin D. Table 1. Ingredients of mixtures differing in units of vitamin A potency per 100 grams of feed used for hens (1933). 325 units 495 units 6S5 units Ingredients of feed group group group per cent per cent per cent Mash Alfalfa leaf mea1.. 0 4 8 Yellow corn meal 20 20 20 Wheat gray shortsm... 20 20 20 Wheat bran._ 20 16 12 50 per cent protein meat and bone scraps ................ .. 20 20 20 Ground whole oats 20 20 20 Grain Yellow corn ad 1ib.._.. Table 2. Ingredients of chick rations, diflfering in units of vitamin A potency in 100 grams of feed (1933). 50 units 100 units 150 units 300 units Feed group group group group per cent per cent per cent per cent Ground yellow corn ......................................... .. 10 20 30 60 Ground kafir ............. .. 50 40 30 0 Wheat gray shorts ....................... .. 20 20 20 20 43% protein cottonseed meal ................. .. 8 8 8 8 50% protein meat and bone scraps ......... _. 8 8 8 8 Qyster shell 3 3 3 3 Salt 1 1 1 1 Relation of the Vitamin A Requirement of the Chick to the Vitamin A in the Ration Fed the Hen In the 1933 experiment chicks hatched from eggs from three groups of hens were used. These hens were in the experiment described in Bul- letin 493. From November 15 to April 1 these hens consumed an average of 265, 425, and 539 Sherman-Mlunsell units of vitamin A’ potency per day, or 325, 495, and 655 units per 100 grams of feed (Table; 1). vitamin A potency per 100 grams of feed (Table 2). Details of this experiment are given in Table 3 and a summary is given in Table 4. It is seen from Tables 3 and 4 that the mortality of the chicks from The chicks received, on an average, 50, 100, 150, and 300 units 01' the hens receiving 265 units of vitamin A potency daily (or 325 units‘ ‘an rue nth ._~ 7 QUANTITIES OF VITAMIN A REQUIRED BY GROWING CHICKS $2 wSN 0w N w. w. a w0H m8 128 He =82 0.Nm H 0.NN 0 w w H H HH~ 8H. 38 NdH c H w H H 2.‘, mNw 00w <3 H 0.0m m H N H m w. 0w 0.0: H? Q 0H w. wH w 00H mm. HmHoH Ho =82 53H n.2, HH w. w w 0 NH~ 8H w.NON Nww 2 h N m H Hm mNw 0mH $2 0.00 0N m H w N 2 $2 Q3 Hm 0N 2 w. HH 00H m3 730w Ho HHmuH>H e62 ma» H; w w w 0 NHe 8H 00H 0.03 N.HH~ HQH N w H w Hem mNw owmH 50o wN m w. w w 8 $2 H60 NH. NN NN HH NH 00H m8 HmHoH .5 smug 0.mmH 3% “N NH w w N 3 ma. 0m g2 3m. HN w w m N 0w mNw 53H Ht: HQN w. o w w Hm | Have Hem 130B .9?» fix? .33, fix? mEHfiw w; 9.». Him N-H 003w» RE so: we 03w V650 we cw Hswwe? no wvwewze wEmHw 00H 5 >ecvwea mEHWHM 00H E 5.0300 P»: E =80 we HQQHHHHHZ 4 20:3? we wHwcD 4 cwEmHt/ we BED v2.8a >0 zfiHwfioe/H .8230 nu-QE.» HQ 25.5 Hi6 5:13.16: A" e55! 8 BULLETIN NO. 528, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION per 100 grams of feed) was appreciably more than that of the chicks from the hens receiving the two larger amounts of vitamin A, regardless of the quantity of vitamin A fed the chicks. The average mortality was Table 4. Relation of vitamin A potency in the ration of the hen to the mortality and gain in weight of the chicks. ‘ Units of vitamin A potency in 100 grams 325 units per 100 495 units per 100 655 units per 100 of chick feed grams hen feed grams hen feed grams hen feed Mortality, per cent Mortality, per cent Mortality, per cent 77.4 58.3 64.3 69.7 41.2 33.3 60.6 38.2 33.3 50.0 16.2 22.1 64.4 38.5 38.3 Gain in Gain in Gain in weight, grams weight, grams weight, grams 143.7 156.9 155.0 158.6 149.6 156.6 154.9 202.3 174.7 133.1 201.6 152.0 Average ............... .. 147.6 177.6 159.6 Vitamin A per gram of yolk ......................... .. 11 13 14 64.4 in one lot and 38.5 in the other. The mortality of the chicks from the hens receiving 425 and 539 units of vitamin A daily, or 325, 495, and 655 units per 100 grams of feed, was practically the same. The gain in live weight of the chicks was also less Where the hens received the smallest quantity of vitamin A, but the difference is not as marked as the difference in mortality. The quantity of vitamin A fed the hens was too 10W and therefore had a great effect upon the vigor of the chicks, so that the mortality was higher and the gains in weight of the chicks were lower than were those of chicks from hens receiving adequate quan- tities of vitamin A. It appears that hens receiving low quantities of vitamin A produce‘ eggs of low vitality. The chickens hatched from these eggs had a high mortality, even though they were fed as much as 300 units of vitamin A potency per 100 grams of feed. Feeding vitamin A to the chicks reduced the mortality only to a small extent. Effect of Vitamin A in the Feed Upon the Mortality, Health, and Gain in Weight of Chicks from Eggs High in Vitamin A In addition to the experiment of 1933 just described, two other experi- ments were conducted, one in 1934 and the other in 1935. The chicks used were hatched from eggs from hens which were on Bermuda and‘ Sudan grass pasture, and therefore received high quantities of vitamin A. The eggs were thus high in vitamin A. In the 1934 experiment the ; QUANTITIES OF VITAMIN A REQUIRED BY GROWING CHICKS 9 ‘ rious lots of chicks received, respectively, no vitamin A, and 41, 82, fd 123 units of vitamin A potency peri100 grams of feed (Table 5), jji in 1935 they received 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 units per 100 grams lffeed (Table 6). ble 5. Ingredients of chick ration, differing in vitamin A potency per ' 100 grams of feed (1934). 0 units 41 units 82 units 123 units Feed group group group group per cent per cent per cent per cent 1' und yellow corn ......................................... .. 0 1S 30 45 f1 und white corn ................... .. 60 45 30 ’ 15 eat gray shorts ............................ .. 21 21 21 21 j- ' . protein cottonseed meal .................... .. 8 8 8 8 ‘ K¢ protein meat and bone scraps .......... .. 8 8 8 8 - nd oyster shell .......................................... .. 2 2 2 2 I 1 1 1 1 ble'6. Ingredients of chick rations, difiering in vitamin A potency in 00 grams of feed (1935). .. 2S units 50 units 75 units 100 units 125 units w Feed group group group group group - nd yellow corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 20 30 40 50 v ‘und white corn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 47% 37% 27% 18% 87/3 i-ngrayshorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21% 21% 21% 21% 21% protein meat and bone scraps. . . . 6 6 6 6 6 _ protein cottonseed meal . . . . . . . . . 6 6 6 6 6 ' ed skimmed milk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6 6 6 6 '3'- liver oil (Vitamin A destroyed) . . . . 1% 1% I/fi % ‘/é 4- oyster shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% {The effect of the vitamin A was measured by the mortality of the cks, their gain in weight, and the percentage of those chicks alive at e end of the experiment which appeared to be suffering from a defi- cy of vitamin A. The condition of the eyes, nose, and throat was d as an index to the vitamin A deficiency. If the eyes, nose, or throat peared to be infected, it was concluded that a deficiency of vitamin A . sted. It is possible that the chicks fed during 1934 and 1935 did not I “eive enough vitamin A for maximum results, but the results were A factory. “Detailed results of these experiments are given, for reference, in Tables #9, 10, and 11. A summary of the results is given in Table 7. §7Feeding 123 to 125 units of vitamin A potency per 100 grams of feed able 7) was sufficient to produce low mortality in the 1934 and the 1935 eriments, but 150 units was not suflicient in the 1933 experiments. cFeeding 100 units was suflicient to produce good growth in the 1935 _riments and appeared to be suflicient for growth of the chicks in the 34 experiments, but between 100 and 150 units was required in the l0 BULLETIN NO. 528, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Table 7. Relation of vitamin A content of feed to mortality, gain, and health of the chicks. Per cent chicks showing vitamin Mortality, per cent Gain in live weight, grams A deficiency Units of vitamin A at the end of potency in 100 grams experiment of chick feed 1933 1934 1935 1933 1934 1935 8 wks. 12 wks. 12 Wks. 1934 1935 All dead O 25 41 50 .................................. .. 66.1 7S 82 100 ................................. .. 46.8 123 12 5 150 ................................. .. 43.1 300 .................................. .. 27.8 .............................. .. 168.1 .......................................................... .. T 1933 experiments. Feeding 123 units of vitamin A in the 1934 work produced chickens which had symptoms of vitamin A deficiency, but no symptoms of vitamin A deficiency were found at the end of the 1935 experiments in the chicks fed the 125 units of vitamin A. It would appear that 125 units of vitamin A potency per 100 grams - of feed may supply the minimum requirement for growing chicks, but this does not allow a safe margin under field conditions. Under some con- ditions, 150 units per 100 grams of feed or even more may be necessary. Since the vitamin A potency in alfalfa seems to be due almost entirely to carotene, and that in corn to carotene and cryptoxan- thin, and since the determination of carotene in a feed requires only a few hours, while the determination of vitamin A potency by means of rats requires as much as 8 weeks, it is desirable to express these results in terms of carotene. Fraps, Treichler, and ‘Kemmerer (3) have shown that as measured under Texas conditions 1 milligram of beta carotene in alfalfa is on an average equal to 1.3 Sherman-Munsell units of vitamin A potency in alfalfa, or to 1.1 units in yellow corn. ..‘.t;.»;.. -.<. r. .1. . Therefore, 125 units of vitamin A potency in 100 grams of feed is equal to about 96 micrograms of carotene per 100 grams of feed in alfalfa or to 114 units in corn, and 150 units is equal to 115 micro- grams of carotene in alfalfa or to 136 micrograms in yellow corn. l aiwnitalflnrixmm ~ The lower limit of 125 Sherman-Munsell units of vitamin A potency per day is practically the same‘ as the 100 micrograms of carotene per F“ 100 grams of feed specified by Bethke and Record (1). 11 S K C m C Haw w.» Hq ¢.0H w 0 H u H 0 w t. HmHoHHo HEQSH . G m 0.0m Hd u 0.~H m 0 0 a H 0 0 mu W 93w H1» H n: w 0 0 0 0 0 m 3 2H O 3a NH. H H. H. u 0 H 0 0 0 H 3 m. 0.: 0.: 0H 06H 0H m n 0 0 H u i. H33 Ho amuSH M . D H»? 05H H. Q3 m m H 0 0 H H 8 H 0.0m 50H H. 0Q H 0 H 0 0 0 0 R S I 0.0» H6 u Ham H v u H 0 0 0 H 3 w. E ZN v9“. g 90¢ Hm 0H HH m ~ u w E. H33 Ho cwvH>H R A 0.0m 0.0m 0H we» a ¢ m 0 0 ~ 0 3 W. 06w n46 0H 0.0m o H~ u 0 H 0 u mu HH~ M Hdu mam H. 0.0m 2 u 0 m H 0 H 8 m W 0.00H 2 0 H mu .3. HH m h» HmHoH .8 cmwHZ fl QHHHQ AA< 0.00H 8 0 0 w HQH _ m H 8 S 0.00H mu 0 H 0 0H m m mu 0 E 0.00H 3 0 0 HH 0H m 0 8 H . H umoHu Ha SHQEQ omoHu Hm Hcou HmHoH .9?» .9?» .2?» .93» .32» .32» N DHHHQBH wficHwEuH Hwpsuz Hum uH-HH 0H -0 w; 9w T» N-H 2.85 H33 x030 Ho A wvHoHHHo Hcou Hum -1005 mimum 00H E >333 U HmEwHHo Ho E 4 5E5? Ho wHHcD Q Hcuu Hum >2$Houow 4 5E wwofloa 5H >HHHmHHo§ . mMuEu L2H» 9:30am BHuH-HU . . “£1.52 12 BULLETIN NO. 528, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Table 9. Gain in weight of chicks in grams (1934). “Maura”, amhAmn-nnfl 0 units 41 units 82 units 123 units group group group group Cockerelq all dead 466.2 529.7 539.8 Pullets all dead 415.6 420.0 472.3 Mean of cockerels and pullets ........................ .. all dead 440.9 474.9 506.1 1f i. *1 l 2 13 QUANTITIES OF VITAMIN A REQUIRED BY GROWING CHICKS LIBRARY 5 ~40 0.0 0 w.m m 0 H 0 0 0 N Nm H33 Ho H802 N60 0.0 0 ma», H 0 H 0 0 0 0 0N 0N0 0.0 0 N.“ N 0 0 0 0 0 N 0N mNH wdw 5o m m 2 H. m H H 0 0 N Nm H33 .8 n32 0.0» Hd N HwmH H“ H 0 H 0 0 N 0N 3w 3 H w: w N H 0 0 0 0 0N 00H \ H6“ 9N H 0.mN 2 H H H. H 0 w Nm H33 .8 H802 0.05 we H NdH m 0 H m 0 0 H 0N N60 0.0 0 Q3 w H 0 H. H 0 N 0N 2 0.0m HwHN 0H N.HN HH 0 w m H 0 m Nm HmHoH .8 H502 In ma», H. NdH m 0 N H 0 0 N 0N in. 06H m H.mN o 0 N N H 0 H oN 0m m6». wdN m 0.8 wN w o o m N N Nm H33 HO H802 ma» HdN m 0.0m 3 H H o N N H 0N mN 3a N.wH N “.3. mH w m m m 0 H 0N $330 vwoHu Hm 0200 HQHQH 6M3 fix? .915 .9?» .33 is? owoHu Ha wEEwEoH HQDEHHZ Hum NH-HH 0T0 w-» 06 Him N-H HHBE H63 vHuHHHu Ho >HHHHmvHH Hnwu Hum $5.5m. mFHmHM 00H 5 5530a $630 E < Gmawufiw Ho BED Hmfiwio Ho >ua2ucww < 5E mwoiwa an HHHHHHBHQHHQ wvHoEo Have 3m k8? waHBoHHw $330 HQQEFZ Anna! 5E1? u: nonomévu € nucfir» GHQ 5:532 5n 03am. 33S Agricultural & Mechan ~" ca? Caééege sf Te I Wileze 8mm 14 BULLETIN NO. 528, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Table 11. Gain in live weight of chicks in grams (1935). 25 units 50 units 75 units 100 units 125 units group group group group group COckerels ______ .. 454.3 604.4 561.6 671.2 627.6 Pullefs 442.0 481.8 552.5 560.1 533.2 Mean of cockerels and pullets _____ __, __________ __ 448.2 543.1 557.1 615.7 580.4 SUMMARY Chickens hatched from eggs laid by hens receiving 265 Sherman-Mun- sell units of vitamin A per day (or 325 units per 100 grams of feed) ., had anaverage mortality of 64.4 per cent. Chicks from hens receivingj an average of 425 or 539 units per day (or 4'95 or 655 units per 1001* grams of feed) hatched chickens with a mortality of 38.5 per cent under the same conditions. Chickens produced from hens receiving insufficient; quantities of vitamin A have much higher mortality than those which i’ receive adequate amounts of vitamin A. Feeding the chicks high amounts? of vitamin A did not overcome the effect of the deficiency in the hen. From three experiments in which different quantities of vitamin AL potency were fed to the chicks, it appears that 125 units of vitamin A potency or 114 micrograms of cryptoxanthin and carotene from yellow corn per 100 grams of feed may be sufficient for growing chickens under some conditions. Under other conditions higher amounts seem to be required, so that 150 units of vitamin A potency, or 136 micrograms 01p carotene from yellow corn per 100 grams of feed may be necessary, When chicks are hatched from eggs laid by hens on low vitamin Af rations it is possible that as much as 300 units of vitamin A potency, _ or 270 micrograms of carotene from yellow corn per 100 grams of feed, may be necessary. REFERENCES 1. Bethke, R. M. and Record, P. R., 1935. Sources of Vitamin A for Chicks. I. Comparison of Caro- tene and Vitamin A as Found in Cod-Liver Oil. Ohio Agr. ~ Exp. Sta. Bull. 548. 2. Fraps, G. S. and Kemmerer, A. R., 1936. Stability of Carotene and Vitamin A in Commercial Feeds. Read at the Kansas City meeting of the American Chemical T Society. 3. Fraps, G. S., Treichler, R., and Kemmerer, A. R., 1936. Relation of the Carotene Content to the Vitamin A Potency 3 of Feeds. Read at the Kansas City meeting of the Amer- ican Chemical Society. QUANTITIES OF VITAMIN A REQUIRED BY GROWING CHICKS 15 Sherwood, R. M. and Fraps, G, S., _ 1932. The Quantities of Vitamin A Required by Pullets for Main- tenance and for Egg Production. Tex. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 468. Sherwood, R. M. and Fraps, G. S., 1934. The amount of Vitamin A Potency Required by Hens for Egg Production. Tex. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 493. Sherwood, R. M. and Fraps, G. S., 1935. The Vitamin A. Requirements of Hens for Egg Production. Tex. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 514. Tepper, A. E. and Reed, F, D., 1934. Vitamin A Requirements for Growing Chicks. N. H. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 284.