A Study of Certain Factors that Influence Pigmentation in Broilers

Abstract

IT HAS been amply demonstrated that the degree of pigmentation in broilers is controlled primarily by the level of pigmenting substances (xanthophyll) in the ration (Palmer, 1915; Heimen and Tigue, 1943; and Fritz et al., 1957). Certain feed ingredients have been shown to have a suppressing effect on pigmentation—cod liver oil and manganese (Hammond and Harshaw, 1941; Goldhaber et al., 1950) and meat scraps, fish meal and soybean oil meal (Culton and Bird, 1941). The use of antioxidants in the feed to increase the effectiveness of the pigments has produced conflicting results. Wilgus (1954), Potter et al. (1956), and Fritz et al. (1957) have reported an improvement in pigmentation with the use of diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPPD), and Potter et al. (1956) reported only a slight improvement in pigmentation with the use of dietertiary-butylpara-cresol (BHT). Whereas, Harms et al. (1958) reported that the addition of DPPD to broiler rations significantly depressed . . .