Abstract
SUMMARY An experiment was conducted to demonstrate the growth and histological effects of feeding 1α-OH vitamin D3 (1α-OH-D3) at 0, 1, 3, and 5 times the level necessary to reduce the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia and improve phytate P utilization in broiler chickens (0, 5, 15, and 25 µg/kg). High-yield broiler chicks were fed corn- and soybean meal-based diets and raised in floor pens to 42 d of age. The overall growth rate of birds in this trial was excellent, with 3.10-kg males and 2.63-kg females at 42 d of age. Feed efficiency was also excellent, at 1.55 and 1.70 kg of feed/kg of BW gain for males and females, respectively. Feeding 25 μg/kg of 1α-OH-D3 significantly decreased feed consumption, growth rate, and FCR. Growth depression was greater in males than in females. No gross lesions or abnormalities were observed in the heart, kidney, bursa of Fabricius, pancreas, eye, intestine, liver, spleen, lungs, or skin tissue of control birds or broilers fed 1α-OH-D3 at any level. Mild to moderate kidney mineralization occurred when broilers were fed 15 µg/kg of 1α-OH-D3.
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