Nutritional evaluation of meat meals for poultry. IV. Prevention of growth depression from high levels of bone or calcium by vitamin and antibiotic supplementation

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to determine the reason for depressed growth in chickens when high levels of bone, bone ash, or calcium were added to diets based on wheat, skim milk, and soybean and/or meat meal, and containing a basal supplement of vitamins and an antibiotic.

The growth depression was not due to energy dilution of the diet, nor to an induced deficiency of essential fatty acids or minerals.

The growth rates of pair-fed groups of chickens indicated that about half the growth depression was due to a reduced food intake.

Depression of appetite and growth was completely prevented by further vitamin . plus antibiotic supplementation of diets containing added bone, bone ash, or calcium carbonate up to a total calcium content of c. 2.5%, but not when calcium exceeded this level. Additions of either vitamins or antibiotics alone produced responses but were not as effective as in combination.