This report is a standardized compendium of age-related reproductive response data of turkey hens from the use of dietary supplemental d-biotin, pyridoxine and folic acid; and of commercial and domestic egg injections of each of the crystalline vitamins to determine their limiting inherent essence in causing embryo failure. With reproductive response data reported in each of three grouped time periods of production (5–6 wk each), the system of analysis was not confounded with feed consumption with the progression of maternal age.
Maternal age had no effect on vitamin transport to the egg for any of the three vitamins; and no effect on hatchability or poult weight, with the exception of biotin and folic acid, respectively. With the progression of maternal age, higher dietary biotin and folic acid levels were required for hatchability and poult weight, respectively, after 5–6 wk of production.
There was a lack of/or minor effect of dietary pyridoxine on the transfer of vitamin B6, for hatchability of turkey eggs. Egg injections of pyridoxine were vital for increasing hatchability even though the hen's diet was amply supplemented with pyridoxine. Manual egg vitamin injections are considered valuable for diagnosing possible limiting vitamins for hatchability. The manual injection method utilized small egg numbers and was administered at selective intervals over the production cycle. Automated injections were utilized for commercial flocks where egg numbers were large. Automated egg injections performed in the commercial sector, had no detrimental influence on poult viability or growth after hatching. Statistical reliability existed between hatchability results of automated and manual egg injections of a single vitamin level, and between different flocks of the same strain, both commercial and experimental.
The report offers practical insight for versatile changes in meeting dietary and egg needs of the three vitamins for higher reproductive performance. The report also offers new insight for hatchability improvement with dietary biotin with the progression of age in the hen.
