Effect of the electrolyte balance in the ration on bone and poultry litter parameters
2010
Maria Cristina de Oliveira | Uilcimar Martins Arantes | José Henrique Stringhini
The effects of dietary electrolyte balance (DEB) on the femurs and litter of broilers were evaluated. Nine hundred and sixty birds from 7 to 21 days of age and eight hundred and sixteen birds from 22 to 38 days of age were used in the first and second experiments, respectively, distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments (DEB: 200, 240, 280 and 320mEq/kg) and four replicates. Poultry litter was analyzed for moisture, pH, volatilized ammonia and bulk. Femurs were weighed and analyzed for bone density, morphometry and weight/length index. DEB did not affect (P>0.05) the bones at 21 and 38 days or the pH, volatilized ammonia or bulk of litters at 21 days, but there was a linear effect (P<0.02) of DEB on moisture (Ŷ = 24.10 + 2.19X, R2=0.37). There was no effect (P>0.05) of the treatments on the pH or volatilized ammonia of litters at 38 days of age. However, the moisture (Ŷ =35.01 + 3.30X, R2=0.29) and bulk (Ŷ =194.17 + 31.12X, R2=0.54) of the litters increased (P<0.03) when the DEB value was higher than 280mEq/kg. It was concluded that diets with 200mEq/kg of DEB can be used for broilers with no negative effects on bone and poultry litter parameters.
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