zeolites and Avitaminosis

An experiment was conducted to determine whether sodium bentonite (NaB) or hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCA) would affect growth performance and tibia mineral concentrations in chicks fed nutrient-deficient diets. Two identical trials were conducted; each using 240 5- to 19-d-old broiler chicks (4 replicates of 5 chicks each) in a completely random design. A factorial arrangement of treatments consisted of four types of nutrient deficiencies [nutritionally complete basal (C), macromineral-deficient (-MM), trace mineral- and vitamin-deficient (-TMV), and crude protein-deficient (-CP)], and three types of additive (none, .5% NaB, and .5% HSCA). The -MM and -TMV diets reduced (P < .01), gain, feed intake, and gain:feed. The -CP diet decreased (P < .01) gain and gain:feed but did not affect (P > .10) feed intake. Sodium bentonite increased feed intake (P < .01) of all diets; resulting in an increase in gain (P < .09). Sodium bentonite increased gain:feed in chicks fed the -MM diet but did not affect gain:feed in chicks fed the C, -TMV, or -CP diets (NaBx-MM interaction, P < .02). The -MM and -TMV diets decreased (P < .01) tibia ash, but the -CP diet increased (P < .01) tibia ash. The -MM diet decreased (P < .01) tibia Ca but increased (P < .01) tibia P. Neither NaB nor HSCA affected percentage of tibia ash, Ca, or P. Tibia Zn and Mn concentrations were increased (P < .01) by the -MM diet and decreased (P < .01) by the -TMV diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Aluminum Silicates; Animal Feed; Animals; Avitaminosis; Bentonite; Bone Density; Chickens; Eating; Food, Formulated; Food, Fortified; Random Allocation; Tibia; Trace Elements