[The vitamin A requirement of fattening cairina]

In two experiments with 420 male cairina (Cairina moschata domestica L.) semisynthetic rations were used with vitamin A supplements between 0 and 10,000IU per kg feed. Clinical deficiency symptoms, such as coordination disturbances or horny growths at the oesophagus glands, could be prevented in the starter period up to 3rd week with 500IU vitamin A and in the fattening period between the 4th and 10th/11th weeks with a 250IU vitamin A supplement per kg feed. Cairina achieved an optimal fattening performance under the conditions tested with 1,000 IU in the starter period and with 500 IU vitamin A supplement in the fattening period. Under consideration of the vitamin A storage in the liver and a safety supplement of 4000 IU vitamin A per kg start feed (0-3 weeks) and 2,000 IU vitamin A per kg fattening feed (4-11 weeks) is suggested as requirement norm and mixed feed supplement.