Studies on Copper and Iron Deficiencies in Growing Chickens

Abstract

Studies were conducted in which copper-deficiency and/or iron-deficiency anemias were produced in the chick. The initial effect of copper deficiency was a decrease in the number of erythrocytes, whereas the initial effect of iron deficiency was a decrease in the hemoglobin content of the erythrocytes. Copper deficiency decreased the feather pigmentation of the chick and reduced the heart cytochrome oxidase activity, and iron deficiency affected pigmentation only slightly and did not reduce cytochrome oxidase activity. The requirement of the chick for these two minerals is discussed.