Effect of Vitamin B6 on Egg Production and Hatchability

Carter and O’Brien (1939) and Hegsted, Oleson, Elvehjem, and Hart (1940) demonstrated the essential nature of vitamin B6 for growing chicks. In a more recent paper Briggs, Mills, Hegsted, Elvehjem, and Hart (1942) showed that the young chick requires from 275 to 300 micrograms of vitamin B6 for optimum growth. We wish to report here studies on the essential nature of vitamin B6 for egg production, hatchability, and maintenance of body weight in mature fowl. In preliminary trials the following synthetic basal ration was found to be satisfactory: dextrin, 58; purified casein, 18; gelatin, 5; soybean oil, 5; salts IV, 5; fish oil, 2 (400 A.O.A.C. units vitamin D, 3,000 I.U. vitamin A); kidney residue, 3; solubilized liver extract, 4. Each kilogram of ration also contained thiamin, 2 3 mg.; riboflavin, 5 mg.; calcium pantothenate, 15 mg.; nicotinic acid, 100 mg.; and choline, 2 gm. Oyster shell was supplied ad libitum.