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Vitamin B₁₂ Concentrates in the Nutrition of the Mature Domestic Fowl¹

Five Figures

Departments of Biochemistry and Nutrition and Poultry Husbandry, Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, and Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station

1. When a sucrose-soybean protein diet, low in vitamin B₁₂, was fed to a group of hens, egg production decreased. Hatchability of eggs from hens fed this low vitamin B₁₂ diet decreased to zero in from 3 to 6 weeks.

2. The addition of APF concentrates improved the egg production and hatchability of hens fed the purified diet but failed to produce normal hatchability as compared to a group fed a practical all-mash diet.

3. When a starch-soybean protein diet was used, egg production and hatchability were improved over those observed with comparable groups fed sucrose as a source of carbohydrate, indicating that starch promoted the intestinal synthesis of vitamin B₁₂ and possibly some unknown factor required for embryonic development in the fowl.

4. The hatchability of eggs from hens receiving the purified diets showed a tendency to decrease about the 9th or 10th experimental week, even though adequate amounts of vitamin B₁₂ were fed. This indicates that a depletion of some unknown factor or factors may have taken place after the initial depletion of vitamin B₁₂.

Manuscript received 5 December 1949.