Selected Hemocytological Effects of Vitamin B6 Deficiency in Chicks

Abstract

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.