Stunting syndrome in broilers: effect of electrolytes in drinking water on performance and intestinal glucose transport.

Posthatched naive or inoculated male broiler chicks were kept in separate rooms. An inoculum was prepared from intestines of stunting-syndrome affected broiler chicks. Tap water was supplied from 2 L cups, 1 cup per pen. In the Ist experiment, the naive chicks were provided with tap water only and the inoculated ones had free access to tap water or to an electrolyte solution. In the 2nd experiment, the naive and inoculated birds had free access to water in addition to an electrolyte solution. Supplementation was provided up to 3 weeks of age; thereafter all chicks had access to tap water only. Water or electrolyte consumption and body weight (BW) were determined. Total water intake of inoculated chicks was higher than that of naive counterparts (P<0.001). Electrolyte supplementation increased drinking (P<0.001) in inoculated birds more than in naive ones. At 1 week old the weight of the inoculated birds was about 64% of the weight of naive ones; at the age of 4 and 6 weeks it was about 74% and 86% respectively. Compensatory growth was most apparent in the inoculated chicks provided with electrolyte solution. At the age of 6 weeks, the latter exceeded the BW of the exclusively water supplied counterparts by 327 g. Electrolyte supplementation up to the age of 3 weeks had no effect on the naive counterparts. Osmolality was reduced slightly, but very significantly by inoculation; electrolyte supply had no effect on this variable. Sodium concentration in the plasma was higher in the inoculated birds. Plasma albumin was markedly reduced by inoculation on weeks 1 and 2. Whereas the inoculated chicks supplied with electrolytes resumed the level plasma albumin level of the naive chicks on week 3, an over-compensation occurred in the inoculated-water-supplied (IW) group, and they surpassed the naive chicks significantly. Blood hematocrit increased significantly with age; inoculation, age and/or electrolyte supplementation had no effect on this variable. Sodium-dependent glucose transport rates were enhanced in vesicles obtained from inoculated chicks as compared to naive ones. While electrolyte supplementation had no effect on glucose active transport in naive chicks, electrolyte supplementation decreased rates of glucose active transport in inoculated ones. These data demonstrate that electrolyte supplementation during the early age may be used to enhance the tolerance of broiler chicks to stunting-syndrome by improving food and water consumption, and subsequently growth rate during and after cessation of electrolyte supply.