Energy and nitrogen metabolism of diseased chickens: interaction of Ascaridia galli infestation and vitamin A status.

1. Effects of Ascaridia galli infection on the energy and nitrogen (N) metabolism were studied on groups of 5 cross-bred cockerels aged about 5 weeks and given a diet deficient or adequate in vitamin A at two levels of feeding in respiration chambers. 2. Metabolisability of dietary energy was 67% and N retention 33% in infected chickens compared with 71 and 41% respectively, in uninfected chickens. 3. Maintenance energy requirement of vitamin A-deficient birds was 882 kJ/kgW d compared with 998 kJ/kgW d for normal birds. N balance of the deficient chickens was also less when compared at the same energy balance. Infection did not affect maintenance energy requirement nor N balance. 4. Starvation heat production of infected chickens (619 kJ/kgW d) was higher than that of uninfected controls (586 kJ/kgW d). When infection treatments were combined, vitamin A-adequate chickens had a higher heat production (615 kJ/kg d) than the vitamin A-deficient (580 kJ/kgW d). Endogenous N excretion (mg/gW) was less in vitamin A-deficient than in adequate, starved birds. 5. Deficient chickens had undetectable liver reserves of vitamin A and only very low plasma concentrations. There was a difference in the length of larvae (17 d after infection) associated with vitamin A status, and with level of feeding.