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Show Baby Chick Need of Riboflavin Is Great Curled Toe Paralysis Cause of Deficiency Riboflavin, a crystalline yellow vitamin vi-tamin containing nitrogen and ribose, has proven necessary for growth of poultry. It isr also important im-portant in connection with the formation for-mation of an enzyme responsible for Chick at left is afflicted with curled toe paralysis due to riboflavin ribo-flavin lack. Right, same chick a week later after being furnished this vitamin. Photo, University of Missouri. utilization of feed within the cells of the body. Riboflavin is widely distributed in feeding materials. It is present in greatest amounts in milk products, yeast, live meal, alfalfa, cereal grasses and byproducts of the fermenting fer-menting and distilling industry. Only a few grams are required per ton of mixed feeds. Many poultry authorities have stated there is an advantage in using natural riboflavin concentrates in preference to synthetic riboflavin. The natural concentrate generally supplies other important nutrients aside from riboflavin. When chicks are fed a ration low in riboflavin, they start squatting and develop a condition known as curled toe paralysis. In the past the lack of riboflavin in feed ingredients has caused considerable con-siderable economic loss. Baby chicks require greater quantities than older birds. Deficiency in laying flocks lowers egg production and results in inferior eggs or poor hatchability. |