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Poultry: Pantothenic Acid

Deficiency

The major lesions of pantothenic acid deficiency for poultry appear to involve the nervous system, adrenal cortex and skin (Scott et al., 1982). Pantothenic acid deficiency reduces normal egg production and hatchability. Subcutaneous hemorrhage and severe edema are signs of pantothenic acid deficiency in the developing chick embryo. In chickens a decline of growth is followed by decline in feed conversion and retardation of feather growth. Plumage becomes rough and ruffled, and feathers become brittle and may fall; next dermatitis rapidly develops in chicks. Corners of the beak and the area below the beak are the worst affected, but the disorder is also observed in feet. Outer layers of skin between toes and on bottoms of feet peel off, and small cracks and fissures appear. In some cases skin layers of feet thicken and cornify, and wart-like protuberances develop on balls of the feet. The foot problem is usually exacerbated by bacterial invasion of the lesions. Within 12 to 14 days after chickens begin a deficient diet, the margins of the eyelids are sealed closed by a viscous discharge (Illus. 1 )illustrates the typical deficiency syndrome in the chick).

Pantothenic acid concentrations in liver are reduced during deficiency. Liver is hypertrophied, and it varies in color from faint yellow to dirty yellow. Nerves and fibers of the spinal cord show myelin degeneration. These degenerating fibers occur in all segments of the cord down to the lumbar region (Scott et al., 1982).

In young chicks, deficiency signs of pantothenic acid deficiency are difficult to differentiate from biotin deficiency–both causing severe dermatitis, broken feathers, perosis, poor growth and mortality. In pantothenic acid deficiency, dermatitis of the feet is evident over the toes, in contrast to biotin deficiency, which primarily affects the foot pads and is often more severe than deficiency of pantothenic acid.

Signs of pantothenic acid deficiency in young turkeys, which are similar to those in young chickens, include general weakness, dermatitis and sticking together of eyelids (Illus. 2). Young ducks do not show the signs usually seen in chickens and turkeys except for retarded growth; however, their mortality rate is very high. Poor feathering is the most prevalent deficiency sign in pheasants and quail (Scott et al., 1964).

A pantothenic acid deficiency does not normally affect egg production but severely depresses hatchability, and chicks that hatch may be too weak to survive. Embryonic mortality in pantothenic acid deficiency occurs usually during the last few days of incubation. A direct linear relationship exists between dietary pantothenic acid and hatchability. Beer et al. (1963) fed to White Leghorn hens a purified diet that contained 0.9 mg of pantothenic acid per kg (0.4 mg per lb) of diet. They found that the hens required addition of 1 mg of pantothenic acid per kg (0.45 mg per lb) of diet for optimum egg production, at least 4 mg per kg (1.8 mg per lb) for maximum hatchability and 8 mg per kg (3.6 mg per lb) for optimum hatchability and viability of offspring. Dawson et al. (1962) reported that turkey breeder hens fed a diet deficient in pantothenic acid demonstrated high embryonic mortality during the first week of development. After 17 days, the surviving embryos were small and poorly feathered, and they showed signs of edema, hemorrhaging, fatty livers and pale, dilated hearts.

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