Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and bone strength of the tibiotarsus of broilers at 7 and 14 days of age. Bone percentages of collagenous protein (CPr), non-collagenous protein (NCPr) and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium) were determined. The experiment utilized 650 male Cobb chicks at one day of age, fed corn and soybean meal-based diets. The experimental design was of random blocks with five treatments, five replicates and 26 birds per experimental unit. The treatments consisted of a basal diet supplementated with NH4Cl to obtain five levels (-50, 0, 50, 100 and 150 mEq/kg) of electrolyte balance (EB). The levels of EB influenced the following characteristics: ash and potassium content; Ca:P ratio and the breaking strength (at 7 days); and phosphorus and potassium contents and breaking strength (at 14 days). At the starter phase of rearing, the supply of acidogenic diets affected the concentrations of potassium and phosphorus in the bone tissue, without altering the organic fraction.
Highlights
The skeletal biology has been the subject of study for several years, mainly because of its influence on health and welfare of the animals, associated with the importance for the growth of broilers from strains selected for the food industry (Knott & Bailey, 1999).Locomotion is the main part of the vital activities which, strictly speaking, should not be hindered by structural dysfunctions, with consequent discomfort and pain
The results of the traits evaluated in broilers at seven days of age were influenced by the levels of electrolyte balance (EB) for the following characteristics: ash and potassium, Ca:P ratio and resistance to breakage (Table 3)
Previous studies had already shown that the major locomotive disorder of young birds, Tibial Dicondroplasia, among other factors, is related to the dietary electrolyte balance (Mongin & Sauveur, 1977; Sauveur, 1984)
Summary
The skeletal biology has been the subject of study for several years, mainly because of its influence on health and welfare of the animals, associated with the importance for the growth of broilers from strains selected for the food industry (Knott & Bailey, 1999). Locomotion is the main part of the vital activities which, strictly speaking, should not be hindered by structural dysfunctions, with consequent discomfort and pain. The acid-base balance or electrolyte balance (EB) is defined as the difference between the main cations and anions in the diet. The acid-base balance is directly related to the electrolytes ingested by birds (Vieites et al, 2004). The primary role of electrolytes is to regulate the maintenance of body water and the ionic balance of the body (Ahmad & Sarwar, 2006). The EB can influence growth, appetite, bone
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