Effect of dietary corn dried distillers grains with solubles, canola meal, and chloride on electrolyte balance, growth performance, and litter moisture of growing turkeys.

A study determined if dietary corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), canola meal (CM), or chloride (Cl) could adversely affect the performance and litter moisture of turkeys. A total of 1,089 Nicholas toms were used in a study during 2 to 14 wk of age. The poults were randomized into 99 pens (11 poults/pen) with number reduced to 10/pen at 8 wk. The factorial arrangement consisted of 3 diet sets [corn-soy (CS), CS + 20% DDGS, CS + 20% DDGS + 10% canola meal] and 3 Cl levels (0.22, 0.32, 0.42%), making 9 treatments distributed in 11 replicate blocks. Diets were formulated to be isocaloric with similar levels of digestible amino acids for each of 4 feeding phases. The dietary electrolyte balance varied with diet set and age period and ranged from 351 to 181 mEq/kg of diet (Na(+) + K(+) - Cl(-)) or 184 to -29 mEq/kg (Na(+) + K(+)) - (Cl(-) + S(2-)). Individual BW and pen feed residues were measured at each phase. Samples of litter were collected at 11 and 14 wk for measuring moisture. During 2 to 14 wk, no differences were observed in BW and ADG attributable to diet (P < 0.05). Birds fed diets containing DDGS or with CM consumed 6.0% more ADFI (P > 0.05). No differences were found for Cl or diet × Cl interaction for BW, ADG, or ADFI. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was higher (P > 0.05) for birds fed diets containing DDGS or CM. A diet × Cl interaction was found for FCR during 8 to 14 wk; increasing Cl over 0.22% significantly increased the FCR by 3.0% only in diets containing DDGS with CM. Litter moisture was increased in diets containing DDGS or with CM, and by increased Cl. Including S in dietary electrolyte balance resulted in a better albeit weak correlation with ADG during 2 to 5 wk (-0.51 vs. -0.36) and FCR during 11 to 14 wk (-0.36 vs. -0.21). Due to the detrimental effect on FCR, high Cl should be avoided with DDGS and CM in turkey grower diets.

Effect of phytase supplementation to diets varying in chloride level on performance, litter moisture, foot pad score, and gait score of growing turkeys.

Phytase was examined as a means to improve turkey performance in diets with high Cl by modifying dietary electrolyte balance. Nicholas turkey toms (10 poults/pen; 10 replicates per pen) were fed corn-soy-distillers dried grains with solubles-canola meal-based diets (DDGS/CM) with varying Cl (0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5%) and phytase (0 or 500 phytase units/kg of diet), making 8 treatments (4 × 2 factorial). A ninth treatment was a corn-soy based diet (CS) with 0.3% Cl and without phytase (positive control). The diets were formulated to contain similar AMEn and digestible amino acid levels for each of 5 feeding periods (2 to 5, 5 to 8, 8 to 11, 11 to 14, and 14 to 17 wk of age) and fed in mash form. Turkey BW, ADG, ADFI, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined for each pen along with litter moisture, foot pad, and gait scores. An ANOVA was conducted to determine the effects of Cl, phytase, and their interaction. Turkey BW, ADG, and ADFI decreased in a linear or curvilinear manner with increasing diet Cl (P < 05). At 17 wk of age, litter moisture and foot pad score showed a cubic trend with diet Cl (P < 0.05). Phytase improved FCR during 8 to 11 wk and increased litter moisture at 11 wk of age (P < 0.003). Phytase modified the FCR response to Cl during 2 to 5 and 14 to 17 wk of age at the 2 lowest levels of dietary Cl (P < 0.05). Turkeys fed CS had better BW and FCR through 17 wk of age compared with those receiving DDGS/CM at 0.3% Cl. Based on BW, minimum dietary electrolyte balance based on Na, K, and Cl was found to be 247, 217, 200, and 171 mEq/kg during 5 to 8, 8 to 11, 11 to 14, and 14 to 17 wk of age, respectively. The present findings emphasized the importance of considering Cl, phytase, and associated dietary electrolyte balance in turkey diets containing high levels of alternative byproducts.