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Selected Hemocytological Effects of Vitamin B₆ Deficiency in Chicks^{1, 2,}

Department of Poultry Science, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

One hundred and eight chicks were allotted at random to 3 treatments, with 3 replicates of each treatment and 12 chicks per replicate pen. Treatments were: 1) vitamin B₆-deficient diet (1.22 mg/kg) consumed ad libitum; 2) vitamin B₆-adequate diet (2.86 mg/kg) consumed ad libitum; and 3) vitamin B₆-adequate diet pair-fed to the amount consumed by the B₆-deficient chicks. During the 4-week experimental period, response was measured by hemoglobin, packed cell volume values, mortality, weight gains, and feed conversion ratios. Pair-fed chicks had significantly higher hemoglobin values than the vitamin B₆-deficient chicks in the second, third, and fourth weeks of the trial. Packed cell volume values of the pair-fed chicks were significantly higher than those of the vitamin B₆-deficient chicks in the second and fourth weeks of the trial. Chicks consuming the vitamin B₆-adequate diet ad libitum had hemoglobin and packed cell volume values which remained fairly constant throughout the 4-week experiment, at a level lower than those of the pair-fed chicks consuming the same vitamin B₆-adequate diet. Deaths observed in pair-fed chicks indicated that vitamin B₆ deficiency in chicks depressed appetite sufficiently that starvation was a factor in deaths observed in deficient chicks. Feed conversion ratios in deficient and pair-fed chicks were significantly poorer than those of the groups receiving adequate vitamin B₆ on an ad libitum feeding regimen. Weight gains of the deficient chicks and the pair-fed chicks were similar.

² From a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree, Iowa State University.

Manuscript received 29 April 1965.