Effect of low salt, sodium, and chloride levels in poult rations on growth, bone development, and related factors

Two 4-week trials were conducted to determine the role of sodium chloride (salt) on field rickets in poults. A comparison of added dietary salt at 0, .075, .10, .25, and .45% to a corn-soy basal with .103% salt showed significant differences (P less than .05) in body weight gains, blood calcium, magnesium and sodium, feed conversion, and adrenal gland weights among the treatments. Mortality and abnormal bone scores decreased with increasing salt. When sodium was added to the basal diet as a single element for the poults at either 0, .09, .10, .11, and .12%, or chloride at 0, .009, .01, .02, and .03% in comparison to a control group with .20% sodium and .30% chloride, significant differences were found in weekly gain, bone ash, bone breaking strength, tibia weight/body weight, and serum alkaline phosphatase levels between the sodium, chloride, and the combined element groups. Bone abnormality scores decreased with increasing levels of both sodium and chloride in diets.