Vitamin B12 Concentrates in the Nutrition of the Mature Domestic Fowl

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Abstract
When a sucrose-soybean protein diet, low in vitamin B12, was fed to a group of hens, egg production decreased. Hatchability of eggs from hens fed this low vitamin B12 diet decreased to zero in from 3 to 6 weeks. The addition of APF concentrates improved the egg production and hatchability of hens fed the purified diet but failed to produce normal hatchability as compared to a group fed a practical all-mash diet. When a starch-soybean protein diet was used, egg production and hatchability were improved over those observed with comparable groups fed sucrose as a source of carbohydrate, indicating that starch promoted the intestinal synthesis of vitamin B12 and possibly some unknown factor required for embryonic development in the fowl. The hatchability of eggs from hens receiving the purified diets showed a tendency to decrease about the 9th or 10th experimental week, even though adequate amounts of vitamin B12 were fed. This indicates that a depletion of some unknown factor or factors may have taken place after the initial depletion of vitamin B12.

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