Blood Spot Incidence in Chicken Eggs and Vitamin A Level of the Diet

Reinvestigation of the Vitamin A Requirements of Laying and Breeding Hens and Their Progeny

“…The requirement of 1,200-1,600 USP units of vitamin A per pound of diet to minimize incidence of blood spots is in agreement with the findings of Bearse et al (1960) The data obtained in these studies on the relation between maternal nutrition and chick requirement for vitamin A showed that the minimum maternal requirement for vitamin A leaves little or no vitamin A reserves in the newlyhatched progeny of these hens. The data obtained show clearly that the requirement for vitamin A to achieve minimum incidence of blood spotting in eggs is approximately the same as the minimum required for normal productive performance.…”

“…One of the abnormalities associated with vitamin A deficiency in hens is the production of eggs with a high incidence of blood spotting of the yolk (Bearse et al, 1960). This egg defect normally occurs in low incidence among commercial strains of chickens, but is known to be an inherited trait (Lerner et al, 1951).…”

Influence of Vitamin D on Various Aspects of the Reproductive Process in Mature Hens

“…Holmes et al (1927) reported an increased incidence of "blood clots" in eggs from hens on diets deficient in both vitamins A and D. Based on more recent work (Bearse et al, 1960) it is very probable that part of the increased incidence of blood spots noted by Holmes and co-workers was due to a deficiency of vitamin A. The increased incidence of blood spots in eggs laid by hens having an uncomplicated vitamin D deficiency has not been reported previously.…”

Incidence of Meat and Blood Spots in Eggs of Fayoumi and Some Standard Breeds

“…Nalbandov and Card (1944) stated that laying birds on green range produced eggs containing fewer and smaller blood spots. Bearse, McClary and Saxena (1960), reported that incidence of blood spots varied according to levels of vitamin A in the diet. Strain and Johnson (1957), reported that eggs in the first clutch position had highest incidence of blood spots and the second clutch position had the second highest incidence of blood spots.…”