• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 1988

Three experiments were conducted to determine whether cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) could prevent zinc (Zn) deficiency signs in pigs fed a high calcium (Ca) corn-soybean diet. The basal diet contained 1.3% Ca, .93% phytic acid and means of 34 to 48 ppm Zn. After weanling, pigs in experiment I were fed the basal diet for 9 weeks, and was found that 50 ppm Co or Ni for 5 weeks increased average daily weight gain (ADG) and reversed skin lesions toward normal. These effects were similar to those of 100 ppm supplemental Zn. The Zn content and alkaline phosphatase activity of serum from pigs supplemented with Co or Ni were higher at 2 weeks and 4 weeks (P<.05) than those of the basal group. Zn content of bone, liver and kidney, and alkaline phosphatase activity in bone were increase after 5 weeks of supplementation with Co or Ni. In experiments 2 and 3, addition of 54 ppm and 27 ppm of either Co or Ni increased (P<.05) ADG and decreased incidence of skin lesions except in one group supplemented with 27 ppm Ni. Supplemental Co or Ni increased Zn in serum and alkaline phosphatase activity in serum and bone in both experiments. Over all experiments, supplemental Co or Ni decreased Zn deficiency signs in the following order of effectiveness: 54 ppm Co, 54 ppm Ni, 27 ppm Co and 27 ppm Ni. The alleviation of signs of Zn deficiency by Co or Ni may have been the result of increased availability of dietary Zn.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.73-79
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• 1988

Experiments were conducted to determine whether supplemental cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) would prevent the signs of zinc (Zn) deficiency in chicks fed a high calcium (1.5%) corn-soybean diet and to examine the difference in $^{65}Zn$ absorption rates between inbred Ancona and crossbred New Hampshire X Single Comb White Leghorn chicks. In the initial experiment, the supplementation of 27 ppm Ni, 27 ppm Co or 54 ppm Co to a basal diet increased weight gain and reduced feather defects; 54 ppm Ni tended to increase weight gain but did not reduce feather defects. In further experiments, chicks fed the diet supplemented with 54 ppm Co usually showed increased weight gain and reduced feather defects; however, chicks fed a diet supplemented with 54 ppm Ni less frequently showed these effects. In another test, Ancona chicks fed a diet supplemented with 30 ppm Zn (except during a $^{65}Zn$ absorption study period) showed lower weight gain, more feather defects and less $^{65}Zn$ absorption than did New Hampshire X Leghorn cross chicks. Similar results were achieved with two strains of chicks fed the basal and 54 ppm Ni, 54 ppm Co or 60 ppm Zn supplemented diets. The sparing effects of Co on Zn which were commonly observed and the lesser effect of Ni or Zn were shown to be, at least in part, the result of increased availability of dietary Zn. That Ancona chicks required more Zn than New Hampshire cross chicks for the development of feathers and for growth is partly the result of decreased Zn absorption from the type of diets fed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 1988

Experiments were conducted with chicks and pigs to determine whether the sparing effects of cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) on zinc (Zn) nutrition were due to an improved Zn availability. They included a Zn balance study with New Hampshire X Leghorn cross chicks, a $^{65}Zn$ absorption study with Ancona chicks and a $^{65}Zn$ balance study with pigs. The basal diet was a corn-soybean type diet high in calcium. In the Zn balance study with New Hampshire X Leghorn cross chicks, Zn retention percentages for basal, + 54 ppm Ni or + 54 ppm Co were 39.4, 40.4 and 48.3, respectively. In the $^{65}Zn$ absorption study with chicks, adding these levels of Ni or Co to the basal diet increased $^{65}Zn$ absorption from 12.8% to 14.0% and 15.1%, respectively. Supplemental Ni and Co increased the proportion of body $^{65}Zn$ found in liver and bone. With the pig experiment, $^{65}Zn$ retention percentages for basal, +54 ppm Co and + 60 ppm Zn groups were 20.0, 26.7 and 12.2, respectively; while Zn retention values (mg) in the body were 29.5, 45.1 and 60.5, respectively. In addition, supplemental Co increased $^{65}Zn$ concentration in the blood, liver, kidney and duodenum. These studies showed that supplementation of the basal diet with Co resulted in increased absorption of dietary Zn in chicks and pigs. The effect of Ni in chicks was less than that of Co. The ability of supplemental Co and to a lesser extent of Ni to improve weight gain as well as reduce other Zn-deficient signs in both species fed a practical corn-soybean type diet high in in calcium can be explained, at least in part by an associated increase in Zn absorption. The possible mechanism involved in these effects are discussed.