The Arsenic Content of Eggs From Hens Fed Arsanilic Acid

Abstract

Bird, Groschke and Rubin (1949), Morehouse (1949), and Stokstad and Jukes (1950) observed growth stimulation of chicks from feeding certain arsonic acid compounds, especially 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid. Another organic arsenic compound, arsanilic acid, has also been used as a growth stimulant for chicks (Bird, 1952).Although arsanilic acid has not been recommended for laying hens, it might be fed to them. What effect would arsanilic acid have on laying hens? To answer this question an experiment was conducted at Michigan State College in which general well being and production of hens, and fertility, hatchability, and arsenic content of the eggs were studied. Data on the arsenic content of the eggs are presented in this note. The other results are published elsewhere (Libby, Groschke, Evans and Bandemer, 1953).Three groups of 20 Rhode Island Red pullets and one male each were fed an all-mash basal breeder diet (Libby et al., 1953), except …