The Effect of Excess Dietary Protein on the Need for Folic Acid by the Chick

Abstract

THE phrase, “protein poisoning,” exists as a term of the layman, and actually many scientific reports verify that excess protein is detrimental. Patterson (1927) concluded that excessive protein and a lack of green feed caused bumble foot in laying hens. In subsequent work (1928), he stated that excessive protein caused gout because the birds were unable to eliminate waste nitrogen, which then accumulated as urate deposits throughout the body. Increased hock fluid was also observed. March and Biely (1956) noted that high fat-high protein diets had increased need for folic acid. Stoewsand and Scott (1961) have recently concluded that excess protein increases the need for dietary A, and also raises the uric acid level of the blood; however, the blood uric acid level was not affected by the dietary vitamin A.Several supplemental nitrogen sources aggravate the incidence of perosis in the chick or poult. Among these are gelatin (Jukes,…