Defective down syndrome in chicks is not caused by riboflavin deficiency in breeders

1. Riboflavin‐deficient practical and semi‐purified diets were fed to broiler breeder hens.

2. Yolk and albumen riboflavin concentrations were depressed by the deficient diets and cases of curled toes were seen in the chicks.

3. The few instances of defective down did not resemble cases seen in field outbreaks of a condition involving depressed hatchability and a defective down syndrome.

4. It is concluded from observations in this experiment and in the field outbreaks that there is a condition in breeding chickens causing depressed hatchability and defective down that is not attributable to riboflavin deficiency.