POULTRY PUNCH - FEBRUARY 2019

ARTICLE NEWS
EW Nutrition Thiamine marks its deficiency presence in poultry Poultry India 2018
Pramod kumar Soni1, Rahul Singh1, Kundan Kumar1, Seema Yadav1
1. ICAR- Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, U.P.
Dr. PRAMOD KUMAR SONI
B.V.Sc. & A.H., NDVSU JABALPUR
M.V.Sc. Scholar, Division of Animal Nutrition,
IVRI, Izatnagar, Bareilly (U.P.) 243122
Introduction: Vitamin B1, also called thiamine or thiamin, is one of eight water-soluble B vitamins. Like other B-complex
vitamins, thiamine is also strengthen the immune system and improve the body’s ability to withstand stressful conditions.
It is named B1 because it was the first B vitamin discovered. Chickens are more susceptible to neuromuscular effects of
thiamine deficiency than mammals. Thiamine deficiency affects many systems of the chicken’s body, including the muscles,
heart, nerves, and digestive system. A principal function of thiamin in all cells is as the coenzyme carboxylase or thiamine
pyrophosphate (TPP). TPP is essential in reactions that produce energy from glucose or that convert glucose to fat for
storage in the tissues. When there is not enough thiamin in the diet, these basic energy functions are disturbed, leading to
problems throughout the body.
Clinical signs of thiamin deficiency in chicks are
• Ataxia.
• Tremors, with the severity of the spasms increased when frightened.
• As the deficiency progresses, paralysis of the muscles occurs, beginning with the flexors of the toes and progressing
upward, affecting the extensor muscles of the legs, wings and neck.
• Chicks will sit on their flexed legs and draw back their head in a stargazing position, which is often referred to as wry
neck. Retraction of the head is due to paralysis of the anterior neck muscles (star-gazing position).
• Failure to stand or sit upright
In Adult chickens: • Tiredness. • Head tremors. • General weakness. • Impair digestion. • Severe loss of appetite and will
not resume eating unless given foods containing thiamin Chickens will sit on their flexed legs and draw back their head in
a stargazing position, which is often referred to as wry neck. Retraction of the head is due to paralysis of the anterior neck
muscles (star-gazing position). • Emaciation. • Frequent convulsions. • In severe cases, polyneuritis. • High mortality of
embryos prior to hatching in eggs produced by deficient parents. Any
Thiamin dietary requirements
Age/Life stage
mg/kg diet
Newly Hatched Chicks (0 - 10 wks) 2-2.5
Young & Growing (10 - 20 wks) 2-2.5
Laying hens (Actively laying eggs) 2.5-3
Breeders (20 wks & older) 2.5-3.5
Broiler/'Meat' Breed Chicks (0-18 wks) 2-3
Broiler/'Meat' Breeds (19 wks & older) 3-3.5
Light breeds (Leghorns) look to have higher thiamin levels than heavy breeds. As birds age, the need for thiamin
increases because efficiency of vitamin utilization usually diminishes. Thiamine deficiency is most common when poorly
processed fish meals are used, because they contain thiaminase enzyme. In such situations, adding extra thiamine may be
ineffective. In regular diets, deficiency is prevented by supplements of thiamine at 4 mg/kg.
Thiamin food sources:: Brewer’s yeast is the richest known natural source of thiamin. Cereal grains and their byproducts,
soybean meal, cottonseed meal and peanut meal are relatively rich sources of thiamin. Since the vitamin is
present primarily in the germ and seed coats, by-products containing the latter are richer than the whole kernel, while highly
milled flour is very deficient.
62 February, 2019