Vitamin A requirement of broiler chicks in Nigeria.

Feeding of a vitamin A deficient diet resulted in cessation of growth of RIR chicks at between 19 and 24 days of age. When depleted chicks were fed graded levels of vitamin A acetate it was observed that the minimum requirement was 90 IU/100 g of diet. Trials with four commercial strains of broiler chicks revealed strain differences with respect to the requirement when body weight gain, feed conversion, liver storage of the vitamin, and blood uric acid were used as indicators of vitamin A status. Coccidiosis was induced and the results showed that under practical conditions at least 150 IU of vitamin A per 100 g of diet should be fed in Nigeria.