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Effect of Injecting and Feeding Vitamin B₁₂ to Hens on Content of the Vitamin in the Egg and Blood

One Figure

U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Poultry Husbandry Research Branch, Beltsville, Maryland

A more rapid and greater deposition of vitamin B₁₂ in eggs resulted when the vitamin was injected rather than fed to hens.

An average of the quantities of B₁₂ deposited at the different levels of injection showed that about 33% of the daily dose was deposited in the egg. When the vitamin was fed, about 20% of the quantity ingested was deposited. A decrease in the efficiency of transfer of B₁₂ to the egg was apparent at the higher levels of administration. Newly hatched chicks showed about the same B₁₂ activity as the eggs.

At the lower levels of administration of the vitamin, the blood of the injected hens showed, on the average, about twice as much activity as did the blood of hens fed B₁₂. When injected at higher levels, a large increase in the B₁₂ activity of the blood resulted. This increase was not reflected in the B₁₂ content of the eggs.

Manuscript received 6 July 1954.