Growth Promoting Effect of Methionine and Vitamin B12 on Chicks

Vitamin B12 was shown by Ott, Reikes and Wood (1948) to account for most of the vitamin activity obtained from animal protein supplements for high soybean oil meal type rations for chicks. A deficiency of methionine in similar type rations has beeen reported by several laboratories. The basal ration used in the present experiment was: ground yellow corn 55, alfalfa leaf meal 2.25, steamed bone meal 2, salt-manganese mixture 0.75, ground raw Tennessee Ogden soybeans 40, 6,000A-2,000D oil 0.04, and riboflavin 0.0005 percent. Raw Tennessee Ogden Soybean was used as the protein concentrate as previous studies demonstrated that for rapid growth in chicks, supplementary methionine is needed with this protein. The growth response of eight experimental lots (12 chicks per lot) is shown in Table 1. Methionine increased the rate of growth in chicks. Vitamin B12 supplementation gave a growth response similar to methionine. When both were added, the growth . . .