Dietary salt and round heart disease in turkey poults with a note on the minimum level of supplementary salt necessary in corn-soybean diets.
Round heart disease in turkey poults has been associated with high levels of dietary salt and when it occurs in the field recommendations often include a reduction in the level of dietary salt. Poults fed diets containing up to 1.5% salt and 1.5% sodium did not exhibit signs of round heart disease. A high mortality rate occurred with poults fed a salt-free diet. Post-mortem analysis generally revealed enlargement of the kidneys with urates; exudate was present in both abdominal and thoracic air sacs. Growth trials indicated that in order to maintain an optimum feed:body weight gain ratio, corn-soybean diets should contain at least 0.1--0.2% supplemental salt, and at least 0.2--0.3% salt when growth rate is considered. Minimum salt levels could not be reduced further by adjustment of the total dietary sodium:chloride ratio to unity.
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011200:Poultry; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D013025:Glycine max; D014422:Turkeys / Q000378:metabolism*; D003313:Zea mays
D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012964:Sodium