Dietary Sodium Levels for Young Turkeys

Sodium chloride has been recognized as an essential compound in poultry nutrition for a number of years. The sodium chloride requirements of the fowl may vary widely in response to environment and other factors, therefore reported experimental evidence is variable. This writer was interested in finding out the effects of a sodium deficient diet on poults, but found very little work in this area. This investigation was conducted: To determine the quantitative dietary sodium requirement of starting poults, 0-4 weeks of age. To study the effects of a sodium deficiency. To study the need for supplemental sodium in rations of different composition. To study the effect of protein source (animal or plant origin) on the need for supplemental sodium chloride. To study sodium and potassium interaction. Data were obtained from four experiments conducted to study the sodium requirements of Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys, 0-4 weeks. Advisor: Thomas W. Sulliva