The Effects of Feeding Various Levels of Vitamin a on Chicks with Cecal Coccidiosis

Abstract

Harms et al. (1960) reported mortality and morbidity of chicks from cecal coccidiosis decreased with increasing dietary levels of vitamin K. They concluded that the major cause of mortality from cecal coccidiosis was internal bleeding and that an adequate level of vitamin K was necessary to afford protection against this blood loss. The invasion of the subepithelial layer of the cecal wall by Eimeria tenella results in the eventual rupture of capillaries in the submucosa and hemorrhage into the lumen of the cecum. Since vitamin A is involved in the maintenance of epithelial tissue in the chicken (Biester and Schwarte, 1959), these experiments were conducted to determine the effect of feeding various levels of vitamin A on mortality and morbidity of chicks inoculated with sporulated E. tenella oocysts. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Vantress X White Plymouth Rock chicks used in these two experiments were sexed, vaccinated intra-ocularly for infectious bronchitis and Newcastle …