title: Interactions of vitamins A, D3, E, and K in the diet of broiler chicks.
abstract: A total of 3,888 broiler chicks (Vantress x Arbor Acre) were used in a study involving 81 dietary treatments to determine the interactions among vitamins A, D3, E, and K in broiler chicks. Three levels of each fat-soluble vitamin representing deficient, optimum, and excessive amounts were included. Significant observations were: effect of vitamin A levels on feed efficiency (P less than .01), plasma vitamin A (P less than .01), and plasma vitamin E (P less than .01); effect of vitamin D levels on body weight gain (P less than .01) and mortality (P less than .05); effect of vitamin E levels on plasma vitamin A (P less than .01); effect of vitamin A x vitamin D interaction on body weight gain (P less than .02) and plasma vitamin E (P less than .05); effect of vitamin A x vitamin E interaction on mortality (P less than .01), plasma vitamin A (P less than .03), and plasma vitamin E (P less than .01); effect of vitamin D x vitamin K interaction on feed efficiency (P less than .05); effect of vitamin A x vitamin D x vitamin E interaction on plasma vitamin E concentration (P less than .01); effect of vitamin A x vitamin E x vitamin K interaction on mortality (P less than .05). The results of this study suggest that higher supplemental levels of vitamins D and K would improve performance of poultry occasionally being fed high supplemental levels of vitamins A and E.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0908.
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Abawi
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000378:metabolism*; D003196:Computer Graphics; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D011897:Random Allocation; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014812:Vitamin K / Q000378:metabolism*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D014812:Vitamin K; D014810:Vitamin E; D002762:Cholecalciferol