Vitamin Status in Yearling Rams With Growth Failure

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the serum levels of vitamins in yearling rams with growth failure. A total of 70 yearling rams of Akkaraman breed, 50 of which were classified as growth-failure with an average body weight of 37.30 +/- 1.1 kg (test) and the remaining 20 were classified as normal with an average body weight of 67.80 +/- 2.2 kg (control), were included in the study. There were significant differences between the yearling rams with and without growth failure in terms of serum levels of vitamin C, P-carotene, and vitamins A and E (P < 0.001, P < 0.01, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). The levels of all analyzed vitamins were lower compared to controls in yearling rams with growth failure.