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Departments of Poultry Husbandry and Biochemistry and Nutrition, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station
From the results of this study it is quite apparent that vitamin B12 is required for egg production in the domestic fowl.
Egg production was improved by feeding dried whey and liver fraction "L," by the injection of liver extract and by the feeding of a high level (5%) of an APF concentrate which is produced as a by-product in the manufacture of aureomycin. The above-mentioned products were therefore assumed to contain an unidentified factor which is required for egg production.
The hatchability of eggs from hens fed the basal diet (soybean protein-sucrose) decreased decidedly during the first 4 weeks of the test and few chicks hatched after this time. The addition of dried whey alone failed to improve hatchability appreciably.
The hatchability of eggs from hens injected with crystalline B12 and of those from hens fed APF concentrates decreased decidedly after the 12th week of the test, indicating that the hens were depleted of a second factor over and above vitamin B12 which is required for hatchability after the 12th week.
The feeding of liver fraction "L" maintained hatchability throughout the test period, and this product is believed to contain a factor necessary for hatchability in addition to vitamin B12. The presence of lesser amounts of this factor in other materials was demonstrated by feeding dried whey with APF concentrates and by feeding a high level (5%) of an APF concentrate which is produced as a by-profuct in the manufacture of aureomycin.
2 The authors wish to thank Merck and Company, Rahyway, N. J., and the Lederle Laboratories, Pearl River, N. Y., for supplying the crystalline vitamins and APF concentrates; the Buckeye Cotton Oil Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, for supplying the type M soybean protein and the soybean oil; Allied Mills, Incorporated, Libertyville, Illinois, for the soybean oil; Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan, for the methionine and glycine; the Wilson Laboratories, Chicago, Illinois, for the liver fraction "L;" the Western Condensing Company, Appleton, Wisconsin, for the dried whey; and Philip R. Park and Company, San Pedro, California, for the condensed fish solubles.
Manuscript received 6 July 1950.
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