The interaction of dietary vitamin A and vitamin D related to skeletal development in the turkey poult.

Large white male turkey poults were fed diets with different levels of vitamins A and D to study the interaction of these vitamins with regard to skeletal development. Poults fed a basal diet deficient in both vitamins A and D developed severe lameness, growth depression, mortality and lesions consistent with rickets. Birds fed a diet containing the required level of vitamin D (900 ICU/kg, NRC estimated requirement) and a high level of vitamin A (400,000 IU/kg) also developed severe lameness, growth depression and a rachiticlike condition, characterized by thicker than normal proximal tibial epiphyseal plates and lower than normal bone mineral content. When fed a diet containing the required level of vitamin A (4,000 IU/kg, NRC estimated requirement) and a high level of vitamin D (900,000 ICU/kg), poults developed hypervitaminosis D as evidenced by mild growth depression and renal tubular mineralization. When poults were fed a diet containing high levels of both vitamins A and D growth rate and bone mineral content were similar to control poults fed a diet containing the required levels of vitamins A and D. In addition, lameness and renal tubular mineralization were not apparent in the poults fed a diet containing high levels of both vitamins A and D. It was concluded that there is an antagonistic interaction between vitamins A and D.