Iodine Nutrition of Chicks

Abstract

IN THE relatively few studies on the iodine nutrition of poultry which appear in the literature, Wilgus (1940) and Wilgus et al. (1941, 1948) have been the chief contributors. One of the greatest difficulties has been the accurate determination of the very small percentages of iodine in most of the components of the rations. Due to recent progress in iodine analyses and to the availability of ration supplements formerly too expensive or unavailable, it was thought desirable to investigate the performance of chicks on diets of low and high iodine content.MATERIALS AND METHODSTrial 1. The first basal ration used was a highly purified mixture consisting largely of cerelose (56 percent) and casein (20 percent). It had an iodine content of 360 p.p.b. Six lots of fifty Barred Plymouth Rock baby chicks purchased from a local hatchery were tested on each of six levels of iodine for a period …