The feeding of fresh and stored chick mashes containing cod-liver oil

Abstract

1. Good quality cod-liver oil, produced by modern methods and containing anti-oxidants, is a highly satisfactory ingredient of the diet of young chicks whether fed fresh or stored as an ingredient of mixed mash for from 2½ to 3½ months before use at the recommended rate of 1 pint/cwt.2. Chicks so fed had slightly better food conversion ratios and a better appearance, and slightly lower liver vitamin A levels, than those birds receiving a comparable amount of vitamin A in powdered form.3. Chicks so fed had better food conversion ratios and appearance, a higher liveweight gain, and slightly higher liver vitamin A reserves than those receiving a powdered vitamin preparation at the recommended rate of use of 0·05 lb./cwt.4. It may be concluded that both this form of codliver oil and the powdered preparation are reliable sources of vitamin A as such.5. Chicks hatched in early December grew better and maintained their vitamin A reserves for longer than comparable chicks hatched in early March.