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Manifestations of vitamin D deficiency in chicks reared under different artificial lighting regimes
Author(s) -
Bernard Joni B.,
Watkins Bruce E.,
Ullrey Duane E.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.1430080405
Subject(s) - biology , vitamin , sunlight , fluorescent light , zoology , artificial light , calcification , bone ash , weight gain , vitamin d and neurology , body weight , medicine , endocrinology , calcium , fluorescence , physics , illuminance , quantum mechanics , astronomy
A problem observed with zoo animals that normally do not consume vitamin D‐containing foods and that are not exposed to natural sunlight is a deficiency of vitamin D. This study was conducted to determine whether the amount of ultraviolet light emitted by certain commercially available lights is sufficient to promote vitamin D 3 synthesis as indicated by weight gain and various measures of skeletal calcification. Seventy‐four, day‐old male leghorn chicks were randomly assigned to six treatment groups for a 6‐week trial. All groups were exposed to a cool white fluorescent light. In addition, group 1 was supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D 3 /kg diet, group 2 was supplemented with 100 IU of vitamin D 3 /kg diet, group 3 served as the negative control, group 4 was exposed to a Vita‐Lite for 12 hr per day, group 5 was exposed to a Sylvania sun lamp for 15 min twice daily, and group 6 was exposed to a Sylvania black light for 15 min twice daily. Groups 3 through 6 were not provided with dietary supplements of vitamin D 3 . At termination of the experiment, groups 1, 2, and 5 all showed healthy beaks and ribs, the highest weight gain, and greatest percentage of bone ash. Group 4, in contrast, had the poorest calcification and lowest bone ash. This finding indicates that supplemental artificial lighting does affect vitamin D 3 synthesis in chicks and presumably in other species but that certain lights that were presumed to be appropriate for this purpose proved to be unsuitable under the conditions of this study.