Indian Journal of Poultry Science

An exploratory study was made to assess the requirement of vitamin D₃ in the diet of egg type starting chicks reared under the tropical climate. Duplicated groups of eight WL chicks each, housed in battery cages under uniform management, were of fered ab lib one of the eight test diets having graded levels of supplemental cholecalciferol (vitamin D) at 0, 300, 600, 900, 1200, 1500, 3000 and 6000 IU/kg in an all-plant practical type of the basal diet from 1 to 7 weeks of age. Results based on the overall growth, feed utilization and skeletal condition of experimental chicks suggested that-WL chicks performed well on the diets supplemented with at least with 600 IU vitamin D₃ per kg. However, a numerical improvement in feed utilization was also seen in chicks fed 1200 IU of vitamin DJ/kg diet.