Q1. Identify any five mineral and vitamin deficiency diseases in chicks and layers, and describe their important symptoms with suitable examples.
- Vitamin A deficiency causes growth retardation, pustules in chicks, and reduced egg production/hatchability in layers.
- Vitamin D3 deficiency leads to rickets (soft bones) in chicks and osteomalacia/thin-shelled eggs in layers.
- Riboflavin (B2) deficiency primarily causes 'curled toe paralysis' in chicks due to nerve degeneration.
- Manganese deficiency results in 'perosis' (slipped tendon) in chicks and poor eggshell quality in layers.
Answer: Poultry, encompassing both chicks and layers, requires a balanced diet rich in essential minerals and vitamins for optimal growth, production, and health. Deficiencies in these crucial micronutrients can lead to a range of diseases, significantly impacting productivity and welfare. This response identifies five such deficiency diseases, detailing their symptoms and providing illustrative examples from a poultry farming context, as aligned with the OLPI-002 curriculum. **1. Vitamin A Deficiency ...