Record Details

Folic acid response of chicks and poults fed diets containing ingredients from natural sources

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Title Folic acid response of chicks and poults fed diets containing ingredients from natural sources
Names McKeen, William David (creator)
Arscott, G. H. (advisor)
Date Issued 1964-10-23 (iso8601)
Note Graduation date: 1965
Abstract Eight experiments, two with poults and six with chicks, were
undertaken to determine the requirement for supplemental folic acid
as related to protein level and major protein source. Protein levels
for chicks and poults were 21, and 28 or 28 and 32%, respectively.
Major protein sources were soybean meal, fish meal, or a fish meal
and meat and bone meal combination. High methionine levels were
obtained in formulating the fish meal rations and high calcium and
phosphorus levels were present in the fish meal and meat and bone
meal diets. Exploratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the
effects of high levels of these ingredients with and without supplemental folic acid. Free folic acid content of the feed ingredients was
determined by microbiological assay and the amount of folic acid in
the high protein fish meal rations for both species was related to the
N. R. C. requirement values. The protein levels studied did not influence the need for supplemental folic acid for chicks or poults. Rations composed of herring
fish meal required folic acid supplementation. For chicks or poults
the amount of folic acid added to the high protein fish meal ration plus
the amount in the diet determined by microbiological assay of the ingredients agreed closely with the N. R. C. requirement values of
these species. The soybean meal rations calculated low in folic acid
in regard to the N. R. C. requirement for poults. Poults fed these
diets did not respond to added folic acid suggesting that a lower calculated free folic acid content when using soybean meal rations will
not necessarily result in deficient diets.
Perosis appeared to be more prevalent in chicks fed the high
calcium and phosphorus levels, although it could not be separated
statistically from perosis caused by a folic acid deficiency. No effect
could be found from the high methionine content of the fish meal rations. Anemia was not produced in chicks or poults fed these marginally deficient rations as judged by hemoglobin determinations or
microhematocrit readings. Values obtained by either of these testing
methods were quite variable.
Microbiological analysis of herring fish meal showed it to contain 0.26 mg. of folic acid/lb. This is much lower than the average
reported value of 1.1 mg./lb. although it is well within the reported
range of 0.12 to 2.37 mg./lb. The results of this investigation
indicate that the lower value would be more applicable when formulating practical rations from the standpoint of reducing mortality
and increasing body weights.
Genre Thesis/Dissertation
Topic Poultry -- Feeding and feeds
Identifier http://hdl.handle.net/1957/49041

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