IN addition to egg yolk color (Marusich and Bauernfeind, 1970), dietary oxycarotenoids in the rations of chickens are needed (1) to adequately pigment broilers and fryers, (2) to provide shank and skin pigmentation in replacement pullets at the start of the laying period and (3) to endow day-old chicks with acceptable yellow color. Yellow corn, corn gluten meal and dehydrated alfalfa meal have served as the primary sources of oxycarotenoids (Day and Williams, 1958; Blessin et al., 1958; Ratcliff et al., 1959, 1962; Waldroup et al., 1960; Dua et al., 1967; Combs and Nott, 1967; Wilkinson and Barbee, 1968; Kuzmicky et al., 1968; and Livingston et al., 1969). In addition, several other feed additives have been shown to be effective including algae meal (Perdue and Smith, 1962; Smith and Perdue, 1966); and marigold meal (Brambila et al., 1963). In the present studies, the chemically synthesized oxycarotenoids, 4,4′ diketo-β-carotene (canthaxanthin) and…