TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION A. B. CONNER, DIRECTOR, College Station, Texas BULLETIN NO. 633 MAY 1943 LL EFFECT OF SULPHUR ON CHICK NUTRITION R. M. SHERWOOD, J. R. COUCH, LEE JAMES, AND C. W. CARTER _ Division of‘ Poultry Husbandry 2:4 y r AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS T. 0. WALTON, President B37‘——543—4M—— L180 [Blank Page in Original Bulletin] Sulphur is used rather extensively in the control of coccidiosis. Its use in feeding chickens to prevent coccidiosis has, under some condi- tions, interfered with normal nut 'tion. It was the plan of these, ex- veriments to study the feeding of sulphur on the requirements of chicks l vitamins A, D and riboflavin. I he result of these experiments, are in agreement with the work 0f rs, in that chicks fed sulphur away from sunlight require four s as much vitamin D carrier as chicks fed no sulphur. On the other chicks fed sulphur did well if agllowed twq hours of direct noon- sunlight distributed over a week’s time. fie feeding of sulphur did not increase the requirements for carotene ‘woflavin. other words, the feeding out sulphur to chicks running in the sun- did not make it necessary to increase the vitamin content of the feeds. Q 113149 CONTENTS Page Introduction ..... __ --- _________________________ _-A 5 Procedure ______ _- _ _______ _- __ 5 Experimental Results- -_ -_- _ 7 Study of Types and Amounts of Sulphur __ 7 Effect‘ of Amounts" of Sulphur on Chick Growth __________________________ __ 7 The Effect of Sulphur Flour on Carotene Requirements .............. __ 8 Effect of Sunlight with Diets Containing Sulphur .......................... -- 11 Amount of Sunlight Needed with Sulphur ...................................... -- 12 Requirements of Other Sources of Vitamin D’ ______________________________ -- 12 Effect of Sulphur on the Riboflavin Requirements‘ of Chickens--- 13 Summary and Conclusionsm References - __________ 1 3 __ 14 "i; l '5‘ .3, V?! . _ EFFECT OF SULPHUR ON CHICK NUTRITION Ross M. Sherwood, J. Russell Couch,* Lee James,* and C. W. Cafler Z ‘The rather extensive use of sulphur in the feed for the prevention of coccidiosis in chicks has increased the interest in the effect of this _ product on animal nutrition and especially vitamin requirements‘. S111- ' phur was fed to chicks at the Ohio Station as early as 1921. At that time Phillip, Carr, and Kennard (1) reported that the feeding of 2 per cent of flowers of sulphur in the diet produced faster growth up to eight weeks of age than did the control diet but that the mortality was slightly increased in the sulphur fed group. When the birds were fourteen weeks of age, the controls were slightly heavier than the sul- phur fed birds. Hendricks (2) did not find significant difiere-nces in length of wing and tail feathers of experimental hens fed various inorganic sulphur compounds as compared with the controls. Holmes and co-workers (3) reported that the feeding of sulphur to chicks not receiving sunlight caused rickets unless additional amounts of fish liver oil were fed. Goff and Upp (4) reported that commercial sulphur flour retarded growth less" than other grades of sulphur. Goff and Upp (5) reported that 1/4 per cent of 400-D fish liver oil failed to promote normal calci- fication and growth in chicks fed sulphur flour but that the percentage of bone ash in the tibia bones was higher when % per cent of 400-D fish liver oil was fed than when only 1/; per cent of 400-D fish liver oil was fed. Leg weakness was noted only in chicks receiving 7 to 1O per A cent of flowers of sulphur. Gofi (6) reported that 5 per cent flowers" of sulphur was fed to birds four weeks old or older for a period of two‘ weeks without deleterious effects. More information was needed on the effect of the feeding of sulphur on nutrition and especially on other vitamins than vitamin D. The studies reported in this bulletin were made possible by funds supplied by the Freeport Sulphur Company. PROCEDURE The general procedure for the thirteen different experiments reported in this bulletin dealing with sulphur studies are very similar. The sf projects in the Poultry Division are numbered consecutively as instituted. -;!_l‘he thirteen sulphur experiments were not instituted at the same time {Aand do not bear consecutive numbers. The- ‘chicks in these studies were jleither Single Comb White Leghorns or New Hampshires. In the ex- . ‘Major J. Russell Couch and Captain Lee James are on leave for service in our g armed forces. 6 BULLETIN NO. 633, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION periments where day-old chicks were used, the lots were made up at random using only chicks of medium size. In the/ experiments where, two-week old chickens were used, the lots were made up according to the gains for the first two weeks of age, the chicks having been kept under like conditions and fed the same diet for this two-week periodq All of the chicks were confined in battery brooders and housed away: from sunlight. In the experiments where the birds were to be exposed“ to sunlight, they were placed in the sunlight in well ventilated open air sunning pens for the time required. They were never exposed over thirty minutes at one time. The chicks were Weighed at the beginning and at the close of the experiment and at two-Week intervals during the experiment. i I The basal diet for Experiments 68, 72, 77, 80, 84, and 85 later referred to as basal diet 1 was 6 per cent of dried skimmed milk, 4 per cent of 50 per cent protein meat and bone scraps, 6 per cent of 41 per cent protein soybean oil meal, 2 per cent of 43 per cent protein cottonseed meal, 20 per cent of wheat gray shorts, 5 per cent‘ of pulverized whole oats, 55 per cent of ground kafir, 1% per cent of oyster shell, and 1/2 per cent of salt. With experiments‘ 90, 96, and 111, the basal diet later referred to as basal diet 2 was 6 per cent of 67 per cent protein fish meal, 6 per cent of 41 per cent protein soybean oil meal, 6 per cent of 43 per cent protein cottonseed meal, 20 per cent of wheat gray shorts, 5 per cent of dehydrated alfalfa leaf meal, 5 per cent‘ of pulverized whole oats, 4814 per cent of ground kafir, 2 per cent of oyster shell, 11A per cent of poultry bone meal, and 1/2 per cent of salt. With Experiments 127, 134, 136, and 143, the basal diet later referred to as basal diet 3 was 6 per cent of 67 per cent protein fish meal, 6 per cent of 41 per cent protein soybean oil meal, 6 per cent of 43 per cent protein cottonseed meal, 20 per cent of wheat gray shorts, 5 per cent of dehydrated alfalfa leaf meal, 10 per cent of pulverized whole oats, 43 per cent of ground milo maize, 2 per cent of oyster shell, 1 per cent of poultry bone meal, and 1 per cent of salt. All of the feed that the chicks ate was weighed to them daily. Tap water was before the chicks at all times. All lots in an experiment had the same length of feeding period which varied with e-xperiments from eleven to fourteen hours‘ per day. Each experimental lot contained twenty-five chicks, and in most cases, the experiments were run in du- plicate. The bone ash determinations were made by the Division of Chemistry of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. The term, “fee-d efficiency,” for a given diet as used in this bulletin, is a value secured by dividing the total number of pounds of feed con- sumed by the number of pounds gain in live weight for the group receiv- ‘ing the diet. EFFECTS OF SULPHUR ON CHICK NUTRITION 7 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS Study of Types and Amounts of Sulphur The four types of sulphur used in the chick feeding studies are of different particle size and also contain different percentages of amorphous and crystalline sulphur. The relative surface area is estimated by Dr. P. D. Peterson of the Freeport Sulphur Company to be fiowers of sulphur 3, commercial sulphur fiour 4, 325 mesh dusting sulphur 6, and micro- nized sulphur 10. In most of the earlier experiments the coarser sulphur ‘flour was used while in later experiments 325 mesh dusting sulphur was used. The studies of the types and amounts of sulphur most satis- factory were conducted to answer questions resulting from changing recommendations for disease control studies. In Experiments 96 and 111, the chicks were started on basal diet 2 at two weeks of age. Groups were ma-de up according to gains in weight during their first two weeks at which time all were fed the same diet. The chicks used were New Hampshires. The diets fed Experiment 96 contained 1%; per cent of 400-D fish liver oil; while the diets‘ fed Ex- ‘; periment 111 contained only 14 per cent of the same oil. This difference i in amount of fish liver oil was used in order to study the sulphur under satisfactory and unsatisfactory vitamin D’ conditions. The chicks were q not exposed to sunlight. It was a study of types and amounts of sul- phur and their effect on gains, feed efficiency, and calcification and was not a study of the effect of sulphur on vitamins. Table 1 comparing various amounts of three types of sulphur shows that the gains and feed efficiency were less satisfactory in the group in which 5 per cent of any of the three types of sulphur was fed than in the respective groups receiving 21/2, per cent of sulphur. The per cent of bone ash indicates that the amount of vitamin D was adequate. In this experiment, there was an indication that the results with 5 per cent of sulphur were less favorable with the finer ground sulphur than with the coarser sulphur. With 2% per cent of sulphur, this difference was snot evident. In Experiment 111, the data as given in Table 1 show no noticeable ‘difference in gains between the amounts and fineness of grinding but do show that the amount of vitamin D was inadequate for a. diet con- ftaining sulphur. As larger amounts and finer sulphur were used, the "amount of feed required to produce a pound of gain increased. Effect of Amounts of Sulphur on Chick Growth It was the plan in Experiment 127 to determine the efiect of 2, 2%, 3, 4, and 5 per cent of 325 mesh dusting sulphur and flowers of sul- phur on gains in live weight and feed efficiency. _The vitamin D for this experiment was supplied by including 1%,» per cent of 400-D fish liver oil in basal diet The chicks were not exposed to sunlight. "New Hampshire chicks were used in this experiment, which started when the chicks were two weeks of age and was conducte-d for eight weeks. Table 2 shows that 5 per cent of either type of sulphur gave less satis- factory gains and feed efficiency than the smaller amounts of sulphur. 8 2a 3m 3m RYM a; 3;» gm Ed mmw mwzm Qim ||||||||||||||||||||||||| lhocfiofia wwwh 2a 2w x: $2. 2» mt NE. $ m: m? aw» B» .................. 1253M E 5E nfifi L “SH unmfiiwmxfl m ¢ m fiw m a o e o o o _ .................... lwssafism Ho Ewkorm Q ¢ o ¢ o o w. w m. ~\& N .............. lhEEsm @533. swim mam Em .5:E:.w Ho £55 E4 E5 wuEM BULLETIN NO. 633, TEXAS‘ AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT‘ STATION nflnmflflm ma mung was mufifiofid Pfionomflu we aoohfl d oHndH Q33 mmd“ hmwmfl. mwQQ 35w Enfl 3.3 mi? 9.3 5% $6». bad». .......... lama 25m "E3 5m Q4.“ mwé g; 84m 8.». £4“ 2Q $5 #3 3m gm 2w ............... imonwmumww uwwfi m2. c8 8w w? m? S.‘ H2. S.‘ 8m m? ms.“ mww ........ iwEQE E 5mm 532 "Amunwpon Qéow 5o fir»: fic Rgv HS umefiiwmxfl 3.3 35m 3.3 __ $45 3.3 mm? NYE 3.5 Q78 84$ 3.2 cmém .......... isms Qnon ESQ. hi, 34w 5% s.” mmwm wad 3m QTM Sim .25 fiwm mg mfim ............... IQQQBEQ 63h n? g g wwm hm». m3 m5. Qxw fiw Em m8 m8 ........ {£53m E cEw n32 "Amumwpon Qéov 5o fir»: . fin $$v 8 “Ewficfixm o m Qua Q2 X a a a o c o o .......... {gamma UwEQOHQEZ . ¢ o a o o m flm Q1‘. o o c a i355 mwmv Huang MGEmDAH o a o o o o o a m fiw w; e IIiEmQE cwv 55c hDQQ-Dw. E5 hsaflpm we 3 5554» was 2.5M audflfinm no mmoqunu was 39$" wflanomfiu no uoufifl. A 03.2: ‘lay M l \ ‘ out‘ sulphur fiour. EFFECTS OF SULPHUR ON CHICK LJUTRITION The Effect 0f Sulphur Flour on Carotene Requirements This study was planned to determine whether the feeding of 80 mesh sulphur flour to chicks increases the amount of carotene needed in the feed‘. Five experiments were started and four Were completed using levels of 75, 100, and 125 micrograms of carotene, from alfalfa leaf meal, per 100 grams of feed. Basal diet 1 was fed both with and with- The levels of carotene are low enough so any sig- nificant adverse effects of sulphur should readily be observed either by poorer gains, mortality, or gross‘ symptoms of vitamin A deficiency, 1 Data secured at other stations indicated that the vitamin D require- ments of chicks fed diets containing sulphur was between 150 and 200 units per 100 grams of feed. In Experiments 68 and 72, using New Hampshire chicks, 9/8 per cent of 400-D fish liver oil in which the vitamin A had been destroyed by heat and aeration was supplied to the chicks. This would contain approximately .150 A. O. A. C. units of vitamin D per 100 grams of feed. No sunlight was supplied. Table 3 gives the gains in live weight of the New Hampshire chicks Experiments 68 and 72 also the per cent bone ash and the feed effi- .;~— Table 3. Effect of sulphur on carotene requirements of chicks fed diets containing 3/8 per cent of 400-1) fish liver oil l D No Sulphur Fed 5% iS-ulphul‘ Flour Fed carotene per 100 gms. feed---" 75 l 100 125, 75 10d 125 f‘ - l._ l_ l . 1 l glxpeliment 68: l l l l "e > l l l ; Mean gain in grams ______________ __ 752 l 790 865‘ l 517 l 595 l 571 :5’ Feed efficiency _____________________ __ 3.44 , 9.47 3.24 4. 4 63 l 4-62 .. P91- cent bone ash ________________ __ ____ ..___ 51.07 ____ ..___ l 42-99 Experiment 72: 5 Mean gain in grams ______________ __ 331 343 35-9 267 261 263 ciency for the birds in Experiment 68. Experiment 68 was for ten weeks, land Experiment 72 was for six weeks. The» bone ash analysis for Ex- periment 68 shows definitely that the birds did not receive enough vita- jmin D. This deficiency was enough to account for the poorer gains made gby the chicks receiving sulphur flour as compared with those that did inot receive sulphur fiour. These data and detailed notes on rickets showed pijjiefinitely that ‘V3 per cent of 400-D fish liver oil is not sufficient. This igwas not learned until Experiment 72 had been conducted for approx- iiimately six weeks. Experiment 72 was‘ closed at the end of six weeks, igliecause no data could be secured on the effect of the feeding of sulphur .-o_n the vitamin A requirement of chicks if the basal diet was deficient in lvitamin D. , Other series of experiments were conducted in which the vitamin D sill-ales ~ 10 BULLETIN NO. 633, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION was supplied by exposure of the birds to sunlight. In some case-s fish liver oil in which the vitamin A had been destroyed by heat and aera- tion Was‘ fed, and in other cases no oil was given. Experiments 77 and 80 were conducted with New Hampshire chicks, and Experiment 84 was conducted with both New Hampshire and Leg- horn chicks. The bir-ds in Experiment 77 were exposed to 2 hours of direct sunlight‘ per week between the hours of 1O a. m. and 2 p. m., and those in Experiment 80 were exposed to 1.9 hours of sunlight per week, and in Experiment 84 to 1.6 hours of sunlight. The exposure to sunlight was in periods of not to exceed thirty minutes‘ a day. The birds in Experiment 77 received 1%; per cent of 400-D fish liver oil in which the vitamin A had been destroyed*by heat and aeration; birds in Experiments 80 and 84 received no fish liver oil. Table 4, which gives the gains and feed efficiency for the birds in Experiments 77, 80, and 84, shows no indication that any of the caro- tene was destroyed. No symptoms of vitamin A deficiency were noted, It is true that the feed efficiency was less satisfactory in the group where sulphur was fed than when sulphur was not fed. It must be remembered, however, that sulphur is inorganic material, thus the diets containing sulphur contained less organic material for growth than those not containing sulphur. That would partially account for the less satisfactory feed efficiency of some of the [lots where sulphur was fed as compared with lots where sulphur was not fed. Table 4. Efiect of ‘Sulphur on carotene requirements of checks receiving adequate amounts of vitamin D No Sulphur Fed 5% iSulphur Flour Fed l Mg. carotene per 100 gms. feed“--- 75 100 12s 75 t 100 I 12.5 Experiment 77: t Mean gain in grams .............. -_ 759 731 749 72a 753 791 Feed efliciency ..................... __ 3.29 3.34 3.40 3.94 3.63 3.90 Experiment 801: ’ Mean gain in grams ______________ -_ 718 7o 712 720 753 789 Feed efficiency ..................... -_ 3.37 3.42 3.19 3.59 3.54 3.55 Experiment 84: (Reds) Mean gain in grams .............. -- 632 65o 65s 5&2 740 675 Feed efficiency _____________________ __ 3.26 3.39 3.33 4.25 3.70 - 3.54 (Leghorns) I Mean gain imgrams ______________ __ 48s 532 477 e04 521 Feed efiiciency _____________________ __ 3.48 3.89 3.73 4.49 4.29 4.31 Experiment 85, Table 5, was similar to Experiments 77, 80, and 84, except that only 50, 75, and 100 micrograms of carotene per 100 grams of feed were used instead of 75, .100, and 125 used in the previous studies. ..“..,».._..-....._. M... _. .._..__..___.._._ _.‘_ a _ 11 j A EFFECTS OF‘ SULPHUR ON CHICK NUTRITION \ : chicks used were Leghorns; the experiment started when the chicks‘ gfiere first hatched. The data in Table 5 show that there were no adverse . Igtiects of sulphur on gains and the feed efficiency was as satisfactory §hen the amount of organic feed material is considered. Table 5 shows 'e feed efficiency when figured as described under the heading “Pro- iiedure” in this publication and the efficiency when the feed other than jiiflphlll‘ was used in the computation. This second figure- is 95 per cent» the original figure. Jlable 5. Bifect of sulphur with feeds containing 10w levels of carotene \ No Sulphur Fed 5% ISulphur Flour Fed ‘lg. carotene per 100 gms. feed .... —_‘ 50 i 15 100 so \ 75 10o 1 nment 85 ‘ lean gain in grams ______________ __ 525 577 549 585 607 617 lleed efiiciency _____________________ __ 3.61 3.46 3.55 3.79 3.75- 3.63 Red efiiciency on basis of feeds ass 3.60 1 ass _ 3.45 i other thansulphur _____________ __ 3.61 3.46 iThere is no indication from any of‘ these experiments that the feeding tsulphur caused the destruction of carotene in these diets. Although ere are some irregularities in the gains, the birds on levels as low as fi micrograms of carotene per 100 grams of feed made good gains with ‘Mpphur. These are low levels of carotene, and the fact that no vitamin _ . deficiencies‘ resulted indicate that sulphur does not increase the re- T ‘rements of carotene as it does the requirements of vitamin D. Effect of Sunlight with Diets Containing Sulphur =In Experiment 90, New Hampshire chicks were fed sulphur in basal et 2 with and Without exposure to 4 hours of sunlight per week be- een 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. A control lot was fed no sulphur but was osed to 4 hours of sunlight per week. All lots received 1/8 per cent g0-D fish liver oil. This experiment was‘ conducted in quadruplicate. ble 6 shows that there was no difierence in gains with the chicks ‘fieiving sunshine whether they received sulphur or not. There was Table 6. Effect of sunlight with and without sulphur 4 hours sunlight 4 hours sunlight No sunlight per week per week 5% sulphur No sulphur 5% sulphur flour flour -- iment Si): ~ v -.»; gain in grams ________________ __ 822 824 649 {Iced efliciency ______________________ __ 3.39 3.43 3.89 »; 52.95 .88 42.31 ,_ er cent bone ash __________________ __ 12 BULLETIN NO. 633, TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION no difference in feed efficiency when the amount 0f organic food ma- terial is considered, neither was there any significant difference in thej amount of bone ash in the tibia bones. When no sunshine was supplied A with diets containing sulphur, the gains, the per cent of bone ash, and the feed efficiency were poor. This is in line with other work, which has shown that {/8 per cent of 400-D fish liver oil is not sufficient as the 1 sole source of vitamin D for birds fed sulphur. Amount of Sunlight Needed With Sulphur i .The question arose as to just how much sunlight is needed when 2% per cent of 325 mesh dusting sulphur was included per 100 pounds of basal diet 3. In Experiment 134, different amounts‘ of direct sunlight were supplied between 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. The chickens used in this study were New Hampshires; the experiment started When the chicks were two weeks old and continued for eight weeks. These data as pre- sented in Table 7 indicate that as little as 1 to 2 hours of direct sun- light per week between 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. in July and August is all that is‘ required in this part of the country even with chickens receiving sulphur. It is possible that 3 hours exposure is too much during this hot season. The birds appeared to suffer from the‘ heat even though this 3 hour period was broken up into six periods of rather uniform length per Week. The feed efficiency for these chickens" was very favor- able for chickens receiving sulphur. Table 7. Effect of different amounts of sunshine with sulphur Hours of sunlight per week ________ __ 1/2 [ 1 1% I 2 I 21/2 I‘ 3 i i l i Experiment 134 (21/g% 325 mesh ‘ ‘ dusting sulphur): i Mean gain in grams ______________ __ 732 772 700 f 780 752 . ' Feed efficiency _____________________ -- 3.15 3.16 3.24 2 a0 3.17 i s a0 Requirements of Other Sources of Vitamin D In order to check the requirements of other sources of vitamin D than fish liver oil when fed in diets with sulphur, Experiment 136 was con- ducted using 100 to 300 A. O. A. C. chick units of vitamin D from irradiated animal sterol. This was fed in basal diet 3 with 2% pounds of 325 mesh dusting sulphur included per 100 pounds of feed to White Leghorn chicks from two weeks to ten weeks of age. The data as given in Table 8 show that it requires as much as 175 A. O. A. C. units of vitamin D in the form of irradiated animal sterol to secure satisfactory growth with a reasonably low feed efficiency. This is in very close agree- ment to all other work reported. EFFECTS OF‘ SULPHUR ON CHICK NUTRITION l5 Table 8. Requirements of irradiated animal sterol when fed with sulphur A. o. A. o. chick units of l irradiated animal sterol __________ -- 100 125 150 175 I 200 300 I Experiment 136: \ \ \ Mean gain in grams ______________ _-| 566 k 588 521 618 608 635 Feed efliciency ..................... 4 94 \ 5.25 5.41 4.6:; 4.86 4.71 Effect of Sulphur on the Riboflavin Requirements of Chickens In Experiment 143, basal diet 3 with 2% per cent of 325mesh sulphur included per 100 pounds’ of feed was fortified with 0, 200, 300, and 400 micrograms of riboflavin per 100 grams and was fed to White‘ Leghorn chicks from two to ten weeks of age. Table 9 shows that the addition of ribo-flavin did not increase the rate of gain of the chicks or improve the feed efficiency. The basal diet is calculated to contain 200 micro- grams of riboflavin per 100 grams of feed; this is below the amount recommended by Norris and co-workers (7). The fact that the basal diet did not contain excessive amounts of riboflavin and that no greater gains were secured from added riboflavin makes it rather evident that the 2% per cent of sulphur has not destroyed the riboflavin or raised . the riboflavin requirements of this diet. Table 9. Effect of Riboflavin on rations containing sulphur Micrograms of riboflavin added g per 100 grams of feed __________________ -_ 0 200 3100 400 Experiment 143: Mean gain in grams ____________________ __ 681 661 653 660 Feed efliciency __________________________ __ 3.50 3.71 3.65 3.611 Summary and Conclusion u The feeding of diets containing 2% per cent‘ of 325 mesh dusting sulphur or 5 per cent of 8O mesh sulphur‘ flour to chicks up to ten weeks of} age did not show any significant destruction of carotene. Levels of 50 to 125 micrograms of carotene per 100 grams of diet were studied? with and without sulphur. Gains in live weight, units of feed required to produce a unit of gain in live weight, and clinical vitamin A symptoms either in live birds or dead ones were observed and studied. The feeding of diets containing 2% per cent of 325 mesh dusting sulphur or 5 per cent of 8O mesh sulphur flour to chicks up to ten weeks 1 of age raised the vitamin D‘ requirements of the feed for chicks from v50 A. O. A. C. chick units to 175 or 200 A. O. A. C. chick units per 100 grams of the diet. These results are the same whether the vitamin D in the feed was supplied by fortified fish liver oil or by irradiated animal 14 BULLETIN NO. 633, TEXAS‘ AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION sterol. Gains in live weight unit's _of feed required to produce a. unit of gain in live weight, number of cases of rickets or other symptoms of vitamin D deficiency also per cent of ash in the tibia bones were studied in drawing these conclusions. Birds receiving a. diet containing 2% per cent of 325 mesh dusting? sulphur up to ten weeks of age require approximately two hours of direct .1 noonday sunlight distributed over a week's time to insure satisfactory gains in live weight with a low amount of feed to produce a. unit of gain i and to insure satisfactory calcification of bones and freedom from rickets. Diets containing 2% per cent to 4 per cent of 325 mesh dusting sul- phur or flowers of sulphur produced more rapid gains in chicks to ten xveeks or age with lower amounts of feed than diets containing larger amounts of sulphur. Chicks fed to ten weeks of age on a diet containing 2% per cent of 325 mesh dusting sulphur, adequate amounts of vitamins A and D, and mlinimum amounts of riboflavin grew as rapidly as other chicks fed a similar diet, except‘ supplemented by 200, 300, or 400 micrograms of riboflavin per 100 grams of diet. This indicates that 2% per cent of 325 mesh dusting sulphur does not raise the requirements for riboflavin _ in chick diets. REFERENCES 1. Phillip, A. G., R. H. Carr, and D. C. Kennard, 1921. Green Feed Versus Antiseptics as a Preventive of Intestinal Disorder of Growing Chicks. J. Agr. Res. 20:869-873. 2. Hendricks, W. A., 1935. Effect of Mineral Supplements on the Length of the Tail and Wing Feathers in White Leghorns. Poultry Sci. 14:221-227. 3. Holmes, C. E., H. J. Deobald, and C. A. Herrick, 1938. Sulphur and Rickets. Poultry Sci. 17:136-142. 4. Goff, O. E. and C. W. Upp, 1940. Effect of Four Grades of Sulphur Upon Artificially Produced Coccidiosis. Poultry Sci. 19:180-186. 5. Goff, O. E. and C. W. Upp, 1940. The Influence of Elemental Sulphur Upon Chick Growth and Bone Ash. Poultry Sci. 19:270-280. 6. Goff, O. E., 1942. Flowers of Sulphur: and Charcoal in the Prevention of Experimentally Produced Coccidiosis. Poultry Sci. 21:23-29. 7. Norris, L. C., H. S. Wilgus, Jr., A. T. Ringrose, Victor Heiman, and G. F. Heuser, 1936. The Vitamin-G Requirement of Poultry. Cornell University Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 660: p. 20.