Effect of excessive dietary vitamin E on the chick.
Day-old male broiler chicks were fed a broiler ration for five weeks to which was added one of the following levels of dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate; 0; 2,000; 4,000; 8,000; 16,000; 32,000, and 64,000 I.U./kg. The chicks fed diets containing 4,000 I.U./kg. or more of vitamin E showed decreased pigmentation in their beaks, feet and shanks, and liver as a percent of body weight was significantly increased. Feeding at least 8,000 I.U./kg of the vitamin significantly reduced chick body weight and resulted in waxy appearing feathers. Dietary inclusion of 16,000 I.U./kg. or more of vitamin E significantly increased feather, spleen, liver, and plasma vitamin E content.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005241:Feathers / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
D014810:Vitamin E