Studies on the Pantothenic Acid and Unidentified Factor Requirements of Young Ringnecked Pheasants and Bobwhite Quail M. L. SCOTT

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1 1534 W. A. BECKER, J. V. SPENCER AND J. L. SWARTWOOD thick white deterioration by holding shell eggs in sealed containers. Poultry Sci. 3: Davis, G. T., and A. F. Beeckler, 192. Plastic packaging of eggs 1. Methods of packaging. Poultry Sci. 41: Fletcher, D. A., H. L. Orr, E. S. Snyder and A. D. Nicholson, Effect of oiling, packaging materials and addition of C0 3 on quality of shell eggs in storage. Poultry Sci. 3: Graves, R. C, and D. W. MacLaury, 192. The effects of temperature, vapor pressure and absolute humidity in bacterial contamination of shell eggs. Poultry Sci. 41: Kosin, I. L., 19. A relationship between the length of storage and incubation periods in Broad Breasted Bronze eggs. Poultry Sci. 29: Kosin, I. L., Length of pre-incubation storage and heredity as factors affecting the hatchability of turkey eggs. Poultry Sci. 33: Kosin, I. L., 190. Heredityanother factor responsible for variable responses of turkey hatching eggs to pre-incubation warming treatments. Poultry Sci. 39: 12. IN earlier reports from this laboratory, Scott et al. have presented the results of studies on the various nutrient requirements of pheasants and quail, including requirements for protein, energy and methionine (1954a, 193); calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D (195a, b); niacin, riboflavin, choline, manganese and zinc (1959); sodium, chlorine and iodine (190); and Kosin, I. L., and W. A. Becker, Shifts in the phenotypes of lines within a turkey strain, following several generations of single-trait selective breeding. Poultry Sci. 3: Kosin, I. L., and E. St. Pierre, 195. Studies on pre-incubation warming of chicken and turkey eggs. Poultry Sci. 35: Milby, T. T., and D. H. Sherwood, 190. The influence of pre-incubation treatment on hatchability of chicken and turkey eggs. Poultry Sci. 39: Sampson, F. R., and W. O. Wilson, Turkey egg hatchability in South Dakota. South Dakota Bull. 35. Sharp, P. F., The ph of white as an important factor influencing the keeping quality of hens' eggs. Science, 9: Smock, R. M., and A. Van Doren, Controlled-atmosphere storage of apples. Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 2. Swanson, M. H., A proposal for the use of carbon dioxide in retail egg cartons. Poultry Sci. 32: Wilhelm, L. A., 19. Methods of improving interior egg quality. Poultry Sci. 19: 3-. Studies on the Pantothenic Acid and Unidentified Factor Requirements of Young Ringnecked Pheasants and Bobwhite Quail M. L. SCOTT Department of Poultry Husbandry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York E. R. HOLM New York State Conservation Department, Albany, New York AND R. E. REYNOLDS Ithaca Game Farm, Ithaca, New York (Received for publication May 19, 194) vitamin K (191). In addition, studies have been conducted on the effects of antibiotics, arsenicals and thyroactive compounds upon growth and feathering in pheasant chicks (1954b), and the effect of diet on the ability of young pheasant chicks to withstand the stress of cold, drenching rain (1955). This report presents the results of studies

2 REQUIREMENTS OF PHEASANTS AND QUAIL 1S3S on the pantothenic acid requirements of young Ringnecked pheasants and young Bobwhite quail, using a purified diet, and results showing that diets of practical feedstuffs (corn, fish meal, or combinations of these with soybean meal, brewers dried yeast, etc.), not only supply sufficient pantothenic acid for young pheasants and quail, but also contain an unidentified factor or factors required for optimum growth in these species. EXPERIMENTAL The experiments were conducted at the Ithaca Game Farm of the New York State Ingredients Isolated soybean protein (Drackett Assay C-l) Corn starch, pearled Animal grease Cellulose (Solka-Floc) Soybean meal, protein Corn meal, yellow Fish meal, 0 protein Whey dried product, partially delactosed Brewers dried yeast Liver & glandular meal Alfalfa meal, 1 protein Dicalcium phosphate Limestone, ground Salt, iodized Vitamin mixture 3 Mineral mixture 4 DL-Methionine Manganese sulfate, feed gr. Zinc oxide Riboflavin, mg. Vitamin A, I.U. Vitamin D 3, I.C.U. Folic acid, mg. Niacin, mg. Calcium pantothenate, mg. TABLE 1.Composition of experimental diets 1-5* ,0 2M 0.4M 0,000 Conservation Department. The laboratory facilities and the experimental procedures were the same as those described in previous reports (Scott et al., 193, 195a, b, 1959, 190, 191). Each experimental lot contained Ringnecked pheasants or 1- Bobwhite quail of mixed sex at the start of the experiments. Treatments were run in duplicate. The experimental diets are shown in Table 1. The purified diet was very similar to that used previously by Beer et al. (193) for the study of the pantothenic acid requirements of young White Leghorn chicks. It was found by microbiological assay using Lactobacillus s Kilograms per 1,000 kg diet mg. or units per 1,000 kg. of diet 2,0 3,000 2M M 0.4M 1.5M 0,000,000 2,000,000 2, Contained added pantothenic acid levels ranging from 0- mg. per kg. diet as shown in Tables 2 and 4. 2 Contained added pantothenic acid levels ranging from 2- mg. per kg. of diet as shown in Tables 3 and 5. 3 The vitamin mix supplied the following amounts, in mg. (or units) per kg. of diet: biotin, 0.11; menadione sodium bisulfite, 1.2; pyridoxine HCl, 4.4; folic acid, 4; thiamine HCl, 5; riboflavin, 5; niacin, 0; choline chloride, 2,000; vitamin Bi«, 0.013; U.S.P. units stabilized vitamin A,,000; I.C.U. vitamin D 3, 2,000; I.U. vitamin E, 0; glucose,.5. 4 The mineral mix supplied the following per kg. of diet: KHC0 3, gm.; FeS0 4 -H 2 0, 300 mg.; MgCC 1,00 mg.; CuS0 4-5H 2 0, 15 mg.; Na 2 Mo0 4 4H 2 0, mg.; and Na 2 Se0 3, 0.3 mg.

3 153 M. L. SCOTT, E. R. HOLM AND R. E. REYNOLDS arabinosus 014 to contain approximately 1.0 mg. of pantothenic acid per kg. The first experiment with graded levels of pantothenic acid was conducted using the basal purified diet ( 1, Table 1). Results with the purified diet also were compared with those obtained with a simplified diet of corn-fish meal with and without added pantothenic acid and the practical complete Game Farm pheasant ration. Because of the poor growth in both species, very high mortality in the quail and the high incidence of leg disorders observed in pheasants receiving this purified diet even with mg. pantothenic acid per kg. of diet, a second experiment was conducted using the same basal diet modified by the addition of 5 fish meal ( 9, Table 1). The basal diet for the second experiment contained approximately 1.5 mg. of pantothenic acid per kg. of diet. Pantothenic acid was added to the basal diet in graded levels ranging from 2 mg. to mg. per kg. of diet. In the second experiment, duplicate lots of pheasant and quail chicks also received the basal diet supplemented with either brewers dried yeast or 5 yeast and 5 liver and glandular meal. These special vitamin carriers were added to determine if the improved growth obtained in the first experiment with the practical diets as compared with the purified diet could be obtained by supplementing the purified diet with sources of unidentified factors. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Pheasants. The results of the experiments with pheasants are presented in Tables 2 and 3. In both experiments there was gradual improvement in growth and feathering as the pantothenic acid content of the diet was increased, with a plateau reached with mg. of supplemental pantothenic acid per kg. of diet. Thus, the minimum pantothenic acid requirement of the pheasant appears to be approximately mg. per kg. of diet. growth and extremely poor feathering were observed in all pheasants receiving levels of added pantothenic acid below mg. per kg. of diet. A photograph showing the poor feathering of pantothenic acid deficiency is presented in Figure 1. In experiment 1 many of the pheasant chicks receiving pantothenic acid as the only supplement to the purified diet showed a severe bowed leg condition, including those receiving the level of mg. of added pantothenic acid per kg. of diet. Leg weakness was almost prevented in the pheasants receiving the practical-type diet of corn and fish meal (Experiment 1, Table 2), and by supplementing the purified diet TABLE 2.Results of experiment 1 on pantothenic acid requirement of pheasants 1 Treatment ary pantothenic acid mg. per kg. of diet Corn-fish meal basal diet As ()+2 mg. pantothenic acid/kg. Practical Game Farm ration (crumbles) Body Incidence weights Mortality 2 Feathering bowed 4 weeks legs g- 3 (3-3) 9 (93-3) 14 (1-131) 14 (145-14) 21( ) 202 (19-20) 24 (24-24) 0 91 (9-4) 5 (5-5) 15 (20-) (-) 9(-12) 11 (-15) 0(0-0) Fifty Chinese Ringnecked pheasant chicks per lot at start of experiment.

4 REQUIREMENTS OF PHEASANTS AND QUAIL 153 TABLE 3.Results of experiment 2 on pantothenic acid requirements of pheasants IS I real menl ary pantothenic acid mg./kg. of diet As (9)+ brewers yeast As (9)+ 5 brewers yeast + 5 liver meal Practical Game Farm ration (crumbles) Body weight, 4 weeks g (3-93) 94 (53-135) 14( ) 14 (159-19) 14 (159-19) 20( ) 19 ( ) 2 (22-23) Mortality 2 9 (9-9) (-9) 30 (20-) 11 (-12) (-) 5(0-) 2(0-4) 4 (2-) 2 Fifty pheasants per lot at start of the experiment. with brewers dried yeast or yeast plus liver and glandular meal (Experiment 2, Table 3). growth, feathering, freedom from leg weakness and very low mortality were obtained with the practical Game Farm diet in both experiments. The bowed leg condition obtained in these experiments did not appear to be related to the pantothenic acid content of the diet but rather to a deficiency in the purified diet of an unknown factor present in natural ingredients, particularly in brewers dried yeast. Possibly this is the same factor which has been shown by previous work in this laboratory to be important in the prevention of an enlarged hock and bowed leg condition in turkeys, which also is largely prevented by the inclusion of brewers dried yeast in the diet (Scott, 1951). Quail. The quail appeared to have a high requirement for an unknown factor required for growth and prevention of mortality. Thus, 90-0 of the quail died when they were given only the purified diet, with or without supplemental pantothenic acid (Table 4). When 5 fish meal was added to this diet (Experiment 2, Table 5) the results with the quail were similar in most respects to those obtained with the pheasants. The minimum pantothenic acid Feathering Verv poor Incidence bowed legs " 30 2 requirement for growth was approximately mg. per kg. of diet. Thus the requirement of both quail and pheasants is similar to that found previously for the chick by Beer et al. (193). No leg disorder was observed in the quail, in either the absence or presence of pantothenic acid. Fish meal appeared to supply almost FIG. 1. Effect of pantothenic acid deficiency upon feathering in pheasant chicks. Pheasant on left received 4 mg., pheasant on right received mg. added pantothenic acid per kg. of diet. 0

5 153 M. L. SCOTT, E. R. HOLM AND R. E. REYNOLDS TABLE 4.Results of first experiment on pantothenic acid requirement of Treatment ary pantothenic acid mg./kg of diet Corn-fish meal basal diet As () +2 mg. pantothenic acid/kg. Practical Game Farm pheasant crumbles Body weights, 4 weeks g- 2 (-30) 33 (33-) 52 (53-) (4-52) (3-9) Mortality (92-92) 90 (0-0) 0 (4-) 4 (44-52) 13 (9-1) Bobwhite quail chicks per lot at start of experiment Feathering enough of the unknown growth factor since growth was not improved appreciably by supplementing the fish meal containing diet with brewers dried yeast or yeast plus liver and glandular meal as compared with the results with mg. added pantothenic acid per kg. of diet. Growth and feathering were considerably better, however, in the quail chicks receiving the practical Game Farm crumbled ration. Whether this was due to additional unknown factors in this ration or to a better acceptability and consumption of the crumbled ration as compared with the experimental mashes could not be determined from these results. SUMMARY Studies with a purified diet have been presented which indicate that the minimum pantothenic acid requirement for growth and feathering in young pheasants and quail is approximately mg. per kg. of diet. This is in accord with the requirement TABLE 5.Results of second experiment on pantothenic acid requirement of quail 1 Treatment ary pantothenic acid mg./kg. of diet Corn-fish meal basal diet As ()+2 mg. pantothenic acid /kg. As (9) + brewers yeast As (9) +5 brewers yeast+5 liver meal Practical Game Farm ration (crumbles) Body weights, 4 weeks g-. 2 (24-2) 39 (39-) 41 (39-43) 4 (44-4) 52 (4-55) 4 (4-4) 44 (42-45) 4 (4-49) 5 (2-) Mortality 2 0 (-9) 0 (1-0) 33 (33-33) 55 (33-) 30 (1-44) 4 (33-1) (22-2) 1 (11-22) 22 (22-22) Feathering 2 Eighteen Bobwhite quail chicks per lot at start of experiment.

6 REQUIREMENTS OF PHEASANTS AND QUAIL 1539 found by Beer et al. (193) for the White Leghorn chick. A purified diet highly enriched with all known nutrients and known to promote excellent growth and development in young domestic chicks, failed to support normal growth in pheasants or quail, and did not contain all nutrients needed to prevent a severe hock enlargement and bowing of the legs in the young pheasants. Brewers dried yeast, liver and glandular meal, and other natural feedstuffs appear to contain an unknown factor or factors required for growth and prevention of leg deformities in the pheasant and for growth and prevention of mortality in young quail. REFERENCES Beer, A. E., M. L. Scott and M. C. Nesheim, 193. The effects of graded levels of pantothenic acid on the breeding performance of White Leghorn pullets. Brit. Poultry Sci. 4: Scott, M. L., Studies on the enlarged hock disorder in turkeys. 3. Evidence of the detrimental effect of fish liver oil and the beneficial effect of dried brewers yeast and other materials. Poultry Sci. 30: a. Studies on pheasant nutrition. 2. Protein and fiber levels in diets for young pheasants. Poultry Sci. 33 : PLACING hatching eggs in closed environments has been found to reduce the loss of hatchability attributable to storage effects (Becker, Spencer and Swartwood, 193; Becker, 194). Whether or not this 1 Scientific paper No. 249, Washington Agricultural Experiment Stations, Pullman. Project b. Studies on pheasant nutrition. 3. Effect of antibiotics, arsenicals and thyroactive compounds upon growth and feathering in pheasant chicks. Poultry Sci. 33: Effect of diet on the ability of young pheasant chicks to withstand the stress of cold, drenching rain. Poultry Sci. 34: a. The calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D requirements of young pheasants. Poultry Sci. 3: b. A study of the phosphorus requirements of young Bobwhite quail. Poultry Sci. 3: Studies on the niacin, riboflavin, choline, manganese and zinc requirements of young Ringnecked pheasants for growth, feathering, and prevention of leg disorders. Poultry Sci. 3: Studies on the vitamin K requirements of young pheasants and quail. Poultry Sci. : Studies on the protein and methionine requirements of young Bobwhite quail and young Ringnecked pheasants. Poultry Sci. 42: -0. Scott, M. L., A. van Tienhoven, E. R. Holm and R. E. Reynolds, 190. Studies on the sodium, chlorine and iodine requirements of young pheasants and quail. J. Nutrition, 1: Hatchability of Turkey Eggs Shipped in Plastic Bags 1 WALTER A. BECKER, JOHN V. SPENCER AND JAMES L. SWARTWOOD Washington State University, Pullman (Received for publication May 19, 194) method would also lessen the reduction in hatchability obtained when hatching eggs were shipped via rail was determined by the ensuing experiment. PROCEDURE Eggs were collected five times daily from 0 BBB turkey hens, mated ten hens to a pen in single sire pens. Clean plastic