Gizzard Lesions in Day-Old Chicks. I. Their Relationship to Subsequent Growth and Mortality and Their Prevalence* A. E. TEPPER AND H. R. BIRD University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland (Presented at annual meeting June, 1940; received for publication June 2, 1941) DAM (1929) as reported by Cheney (1937), in connection with work involving a hemorrhagic deficiency disease in chicks, first described the appearance of erosions of the chick gizzard lining. Since this date many investigators have approached the problem from various angles. Embleton and Brown (1932) have reported the isolation of a highly infectious aspergillus fungus from chicks affected with ulcerated gizzards. Cheney (1937) reports that chickens with gastric ulcers have hyperacidity. He also states, "The cause of the ulcers and hyperacidity is apparently the lack of a dietary factor which has a specific effect on the resistance of the gastric mucosa." Working from the point of view that a lack of some dietary factor is responsible for the incidence of gizard ulceration, Almquist and Stokstad (1936), Bird et al. (1936), Almquist and Stokstad (1937), Almquist (1938), and Bird et al. (1938) have indicated in essence that the occurrence of gizzard erosion is not closely correlated with the incidence of the hemor- * Scientific paper A9. Contribution No. 1746 of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station (Department of Poultry Husbandry). Presented as a portion of a thesis to the faculty of the University of Maryland in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. [47] rhagic disease. The following substances have been reported by one or the other of these groups to prevent gizzard erosion: extracts of dried kale and dried alfalfa, kale lipids, whole bile, commercial dried bile tablets, vacuum concentrated whole beef bile, cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, sodium glycocholate, sodium taurocholate, pork lung, liver, chondroitin; and such natural feedstuffs as alfalfa, dried greens, wheat bran, wheat middlings, and oats. Almquist and Stokstad (1937) have reported, "Presence or absence of gizzard erosions or of the gizzard factor in the diet has no appreciable effect on the growth of chicks." The results of Bird et al. (1938) indicated that growth is retarded by deficiency of the gizzard factor. All of the previously mentioned investigators have worked with partially grown chicks of various ages. Lansing, Miller, and Titus (1939) and Lansing and Miller (1940) have reported on gizzard ulceration in day-old chicks. These workers report, "... of the 600 chicks examined fully 75 percent had gizzards which were not normal." They further state, "The presence, in every abnormal gizzard examined, of blood cells in the secreted lining or of blood clots between the lining and the glandular layer is evidence that hemorrhage, either slight or pronounced, is an immediate cause of gizzard erosion."
48 A. E. TEPPER AND H. R. BIRD The objectives of the experiments reported here were to determine the relation of variations in incidence of gizzard lesions in day-old chicks to subsequent growth and efficiency of feed utilization, to discover whether.or not there are significant dif- TABLE 1. Method of scoring gizzard lesions Condition Score Normal 0 Slight hemorrhage (1-2 small areas) 1 Severe hemorrhage (more than 2 small areas) 3 Slight erosion (1-2 small crater lesions) 2 Definite erosion (few small or 1 large crater lesion) 4 Severe erosion (many small or large eroded areas) 5 ferences among hatcheries or among breeds as to the incidence of gizzard lesions in newly hatched chicks, and to determine, by means of actual chick examinations, the relative incidence of gizzard lesions in dayold chicks throughout the various regions of the United States. PART ONE: GIZZARD LESIONS AS RELATED TO SUBSEQUENT GROWTH Procedure Twelve lots of SO chicks each, of various breeds including Barred Plymouth Rocks, Single Comb White Leghorns, New Hampshires, and crossbreds were secured from six different hatcheries operating in Maryland and New England. All chicks were received during the third week of October, 1939. From each lot so received, 20 chicks were immediately killed and gizzards examined for the presence of gizzard lesions. A relative gizzard was thus established for each lot of chicks based on the severity of these lesions. The method of scoring used is shown in Table 1. The remaining 30 chicks were placed under electric floor brooders and carried to an age of 12 weeks. Throughout the brooding period all groups were managed similarly and fed the Maryland Station mash an all mash feed, ad libitum. No supplements of any kind were added. Weekly recordings of weight and feed consumption were made throughout the brooding period. A similar procedure was followed in test 2 with the 12 lots of chicks being secured from eight different Maryland and New England hatcheries. Seven of the 12 lots consisted of crossbreds while five were Barred Plymouth Rock chicks. Combining both tests 1,200 chicks were received from 12 different hatcheries in Maryland and New England. TABLE 2. Relation of severity of gizzard lesions in crossbred chicks to subsequent growth rate Group no. 3a 2a 5a 10a 5b 2b lb 12b 10b 3b 9b Ave. gizzard (1-day-old) 2.8 2.5 2.2 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.2 Males 1435.5 1380.0 1466.2 1572.5 1301.6 149 1658.8 1497.5 1293.3 157 1385.0 1459.5 Ave. weight at 12 weeks (gms.) Females 1132.2 1177.0 1208.5 1244.6 970.0 1259.3 1337.5 1244.6 1104.6 1372.5 1174.7 1202.3 Both 1283.8 1278.5 1337.3 1408.5 1130.8 1375.7 1498.1 1371.0 1198.9 1472.2 1279.8 1330.4 Grams feed per gram gain 3.77 3.80 3.52 3.40 3.73 3.49 3.37 3.86 3.98 3.49 3.79 3.65
Discussion Detailed records covering the growth of all 24 lots of chicks have been made but for the sake of brevity the data have been summarized by breeds. Table 2 shows the results for crossbreds. The group 5b (underlined) indicates the lowest weight group with an average chick of. A considerable variation in the relation of "gizzard " to average weight at 12 weeks GIZZARD LESIONS IN DAY-OLD CHICKS 49 whereas the group having the highest "gizzard " is actually the highest in weight. This group is also the most efficient from the standpoint of feed utilization. Upon a review of the records dealing with Single Comb White Leghorns, a similar nonrelationship of "gizzard " and the average weight at 12 weeks of age was found. Of the 720 chicks on test, a mortality of but 4 percent was experienced TABLE 3. Relation of severity of gizzard lesions in Barred Plymouth Rock chicks to subsequent growth rate Group no. 7a 4b 9a 4a 7b 8b 11a 6b lib Ave. gizzard (l-day-old) 2.7 2.4 2.2 2.0 0.3 Males 1489.5 1206.6 1402.5 1243.0 1125.5 1161.2 1211.4 1268.6 1214.2 1258.0 will be noted. A positive 100 percent relation would have arranged group Sb at the top of the table if severity of gizzard lesions in day-old chicks definitely restricted subsequent growth rate. On the other hand, four other groups having much more severe "gizzard s" exceeded this group in weight. Two of these four were also more efficient in feed utilization. One might assume that those having the lower "gizzard " should have the highest feed efficiency. Only one of the groups below the dotted line having relatively low "gizzard s" is more efficient than any of the others above the line. Table 3 shows a somewhat similar nonrelationship of average "gizzard " of day-old chicks and average weight at 12 weeks of age among Barred Plymouth Rock chicks. The group lowest in "gizzard " is also among the low weight groups; Ave. weight at 12 weeks (gms.) Females 1233.5 1042.3 1187.6 1131.0 923.6 935.7 1122.3 1148.6 963.5.1076.4 Both 1361.5 1124.4 1295.0 1187.0 1024.5 1048.4 1166.8 1208.6 1088.8 1167.2 Grams feed per gram gain 3.50 3.76 3.65 4.93 4.08 4.23 3.97 3.97 3.90 3.99 over the 12-week experimental period and in no case was this mortality related to initial gizzard. These data indicate that when a good program of feeding and management is followed, gizzard lesions in day-old chicks have no effect on subsequent growth, mortality, and efficiency of feed utilization. The importance of good feeding and management, particularly the former, should be stressed. The Maryland Experiment Station mash, which was used in these studies, has been shown to be quite effective in healing gizzard lesions. PART TWO: INCIDENCE OF LESIONS OBSERVED ACCORDING TO BREED AND STATE OF ORIGIN In order to determine the relative incidence of gizzard lesions in day-old chicks throughout the various sections of the United States, a survey was started in Oc-
50 A. E. TEPPER AND H. R. BIRD TABLE 4. Gizzard lesions as observed in day-old chicks by specified breeds Breed Number of chicks examined Number of hatcheries represented Range in s per chick S.C.W. Leghorns Mixed Total 280 357 138 64 120 623 155 1,737 tober, 1939. Chicks or hatching eggs were secured from 12 states in various regions of the country. When hatching eggs were received they were immediately incubated at the University of Maryland and examination of gizzards in the resulting chicks was made on the twenty-second day following the initial setting date. A small group of both pheasant and quail chicks were also examined. Lesions similar to those in the gizzards of the chickens were observed. Table 4 presents a summary of the observations as made according to specified breeds of chickens. A total of 1,737 day-old chicks were examined from 62 different sources. Evidence is presented to show the considerable range in "gizzard s" within the specified breeds. Of a total of 87 different lots of chicks examined (lots TABLE 5.- -Gizzard lesions as observed in day-old chicks by specified states State South Carolina Utah New Hampshire... No. of chicks examined 20 150 125 73 71 299 85 160 452 201 78 23 1,737 per chick 4.4 3.5 3.1 2.7 2.3 1.8 1.6 2.4 10 15 5 2 3 21 6 62 1.2-2.8 0.2-2.7 1.5-3.0-2.2 0.8-3.9 1.3-4.6-4.4 0.2-4.6 1.56 1.88 8 2.05 2.34 2.49 2.93 variable in number) a range in s was observed from 0,2 to 4.6 points per chick. Table 5 presents a similar summary according to state of origin. It indicates an average incidence of "gizzard " of 2.4 for all chicks so examined. Although a considerable variation in the incidence of gizzard lesions is apparent, not one of the lots examined was found free from the disease. Of the 1,737 chicks examined 460 chicks were observed to have normal gizzards leaving 1,277 or 74 percent affected. This agrees quite closely with the observations of Lansing et al. (1939). SUMMARY 1. Under a good feed and management program there appears to be no significant relationship between incidence of gizzard lesions in chicks as day-olds and subsequent growth, livability, and efficiency of feed utilization of these chicks to 12 weeks of age. 2. Furthermore, under such a system of feeding and management, growth, livability, and efficiency of feed utilization are normal. 3. There are considerable differences in the severity of chick gizzard lesions among hatcheries but in no case was any hatchery found to produce chicks free from this disease. 4. The disease is widespread throughout the country as evidenced by a survey of
GIZZARD LESIONS IN DAY-OLD CHICKS 51 87 lots of chicks from different regions of the United States involving 1,737 day-old chicks which showed 74 percent affected. 5. The locality of origin of the chicks examined does not appear to be closely related to gizzard. 6. Lesions, similar to those observed in the gizzards of chicks, have been found present in gizzards of artificially propagated pheasants and quail. REFERENCES Almquist, H. J., 1938. Influence of bile acids on erosions of the chick gizzard lining. Science 87:538. Almquist, H. J., and E. L. R. Stokstad, 1936. A nutritional deficiency causing gizzard erosions in chicks. Nature 137:581., 1937. The gizzard factor of the chick. J. Nut. 13:339-350. Bird, H. R., J. J. Oleson, C. A. Elvehjem, and E. B. Hart, 1938. Effectiveness of chondroitin in preventing gizzard erosion in chicks. Jour. Biol. Chem. 126:671-678. Bird, H. R., 0. L. Kline, C. A. Elvehjem, E. B. Hart, and J. G. Halpin, 1936. The distribution and properties of the anti-gizzard-erosion factor required by chicks. J. Nut. 12:571-582. Embleton, H., and J. G. Brown, 1932. Ulcerated gizzards. Univ. of Arizona Exp. Sta. 43rd Annual Report. Cheney, G., 1937. Gastric acidity in chicks with experimental gastric ulcers. Amer. Jour. Dig. Dis. 5:104-107. Lansing, A. I., D. Miller, and H. W. Titus, 1939. The formation of erosions of the gizzard lining in the young chick. Poult. Sci. 18:475-480. Lansing, A. I., and D. Miller, 1940. Dysfunction of the biliary system and hemorrhages in the gizzard of the chicken. Poult. Sci. 19:258-262.