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The Effect of Dietary Cholecalciferol, 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol and 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol on the Development of Tibial Dyschondroplasia in Broiler Chickens in the Absence and Presence of Disulfiram¹

Department of Poultry Science, Livestock-Poultry Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602

Four experiments were conducted to determine the effect of dietary cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃), 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD₃) and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-(OH)₂D₃) on the changes in growth, feed efficiency and bone ash, and the incidence, severity and number of #3 scores of tibial dyschondroplasia caused by the addition of disulfiram to the diet. The basal diet used was low in calcium and high in phosphorus and chlorine and known to promote a high incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia in broiler chickens. The chickens in all experiments received enough ultraviolet radiation from fluorescent lights in the pens to nearly satisfy their need for vitamin D. The addition of disulfiram to the diet caused an increase in most of the measurements indicating development of tibial dyschondroplasia in all of the experiments, and caused a decrease in bone ash in two of the experiments and a decrease in growth and gain:feed in one experiment. The addition of D₃ to a diet containing no D₃ caused higher bone ash and lower incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia in the absence or presence of disulfiram. The effects of the addition of 25-OHD₃ to diets containing approximately five times the requirement of D₃ in the absence and presence of disulfiram caused variable results. The addition of 1,25-(OH)₂D₃ to the D₃-supplemented diet in the absence or presence of disulfiram caused dramatic increases in bone ash and a decrease in most of the criteria used to measure development of tibial dyschondroplasia. There was no indication of interaction of the effects of D₃, 25-OHD₃ and 1,25-(OH)₂D₃ with the action of disulfiram.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin D₃ • 25-hydroxycholecalciferol • 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol • disulfiram • tibial dyschondroplasia • chicken

¹ Supported by State and Hatch funds allocated to the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations of the University of Georgia.

Manuscript received 2 October 1987. Revision accepted 9 November 1988.

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