title: Reproductivity of Japanese quail fed mercuric chloride in the absence of vitamin D.
abstract: Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) was tested at 16 p.p.m. Hg for vitamin D sparing activity by presenting it dietarily in the presence and absence of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-HCC) to Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica) for 25 days. No gross signs characteristic of mercury poisoning were observed, but some predictable effects of vitamin D deficiency on avian reproduction were manifested within 10 days. Rate of lay, egg shell thickness, and hatchability of fertile eggs decreased markedly for birds on vitamin D-deficient diets. Shell-less eggs were laid by these birds after 20 days and laying stopped entirely on the 23rd day. Laying resumed within 5 days after diets were refortified with 25-HCC. There was no detectable interaction between HgCl2 and vitamin D.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003370:Coturnix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004528:Egg Shell; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D010058:Oviposition; D010060:Ovulation; D011784:Quail / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D008628:Mercury