Effect of sodium bentonite or hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate on growth performance and tibia mineral concentrations in broiler chicks fed nutrient-deficient diets.

An experiment was conducted to determine whether sodium bentonite (NaB) or hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCA) would affect growth performance and tibia mineral concentrations in chicks fed nutrient-deficient diets. Two identical trials were conducted; each using 240 5- to 19-d-old broiler chicks (4 replicates of 5 chicks each) in a completely random design. A factorial arrangement of treatments consisted of four types of nutrient deficiencies [nutritionally complete basal (C), macromineral-deficient (-MM), trace mineral- and vitamin-deficient (-TMV), and crude protein-deficient (-CP)], and three types of additive (none, .5% NaB, and .5% HSCA). The -MM and -TMV diets reduced (P < .01), gain, feed intake, and gain:feed. The -CP diet decreased (P < .01) gain and gain:feed but did not affect (P > .10) feed intake. Sodium bentonite increased feed intake (P < .01) of all diets; resulting in an increase in gain (P < .09). Sodium bentonite increased gain:feed in chicks fed the -MM diet but did not affect gain:feed in chicks fed the C, -TMV, or -CP diets (NaBx-MM interaction, P < .02). The -MM and -TMV diets decreased (P < .01) tibia ash, but the -CP diet increased (P < .01) tibia ash. The -MM diet decreased (P < .01) tibia Ca but increased (P < .01) tibia P. Neither NaB nor HSCA affected percentage of tibia ash, Ca, or P. Tibia Zn and Mn concentrations were increased (P < .01) by the -MM diet and decreased (P < .01) by the -TMV diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)