Variable rachitogenic effects of grain and alleviation by extraction or supplementation with vitamin D, fat and antibiotics.

Three experiments were conducted using day-old broiler type chicks to determine the effect of different cereal grains on vitamin D3 utilization and to investigate the effects of rye, corn, wheat and triticale as the cereal grain component of the diets on the development of a rachitic condition in chicks. Rye was submitted to acid treatment and water extraction in an attempt to destroy or isolate the rachitogenic factor. Results showed that with chicks fed a diet containing 200 I.U. of vitamin D3 with corn as the grain, mineralization of their bones was normal. Growth and bone ash were depressed when rye replaced corn in the diet. These effects were partially reversed when either fat or procaine penicillin was added to the diet, and comppletely prevented with a high level of vitamin D3 (2,000 I.U./kg.). In another experiment, triticale depressed bone ash even though it did not affect body growth to the same extent as rye. Our results indicate that the factor responsible for the rachitogenic condition of rye-fed chicks can be removed by water extraction of this grain or partially destroyed by acid autoclaved treatment. A combination of acid autoclaved treatment and penicillin supplementation prevented the depression in bone ash.

The effect of grain component of the diet on the response of turkey poults to vitamin D3 and penicillin.

Three experiments were conducted with turkey poults to study the effects of the grain component of the diet (corn or rye), added fat, penicillin or extra vitamin D on growth and bone ash. In the first trial, where rye replaced corn in the diet, growth was depressed and the pults were rachitic before two weeks of age. Adding fat or penicillin to the rye containing diets significantly improved growth and increased bone ash. In the second trial, adding extra vitamin D3 or penicillin to a diet with rye increased both growth and bone ash. Diets containing either corn or rye were used in the third trial and the results again showed that extra vitamin D or penicillin markedly improved growth and bone ash when added to the diets with rye but did not significantly increase growth of poults on the diets with corn. Bone ash of turkeys fed the corn diets was significantly increased by a combination of extra vitamin D3 and penicillin.