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Influence of mineral nutrition and age on skeletal development and integrity in poultry
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to obtain data on the week to week development of broiler tibias. Vantress x Arbor Acre chicks were reared either in battery brooders or floor pens or in a combination of both rearing environments. Sexes were reared separately. Tibia samples were obtained on a weekly basis. Bones were dried, ether extracted, measured linearly, weighted and ashed. Results indicated curvilinear responses for bird weight gain, bone length, and ash weight. Length of tibias from chicks reared in cages was significantly less (P $<$.02) than chicks reared on the floor, while percentage bone ash did not differ between the two groups. This indicated bone development was influenced by rearing system. Males had greater bone length values versus females as expected. The data were subjected to regression analysis and mathematical models for bone growth were developed for each sex. The models fit of the data was good (R$\sp2$ =.97). The models for ash weight are Y = $-$0.015 +.175x +.055x$\sp2$ for males, and Y = $-$0.16 +.318x +.016x$\sp2$ for females. The effect of trace mineral supplementation (Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe) on bone strength was determined in two experiments. Male turkey poults of Nicholas strain were used. In Experiment 1, three levels of Mn and Zn were added (24 and 20, 54 and 45, 84 and 70 ppm, respectively), two levels of added Cu (0 or 125 ppm), and two housing densities (.276 m$\sp2$ or.386 m$\sp2$ of floor space/bird) were utilized to achieve a 3 x 2 x 2 factorial design. In Experiment 2, three levels of added Mn were involved: 24, 74 or 124 ppm of the element. Each level of Mn was fed in the presence of 24 or 84 ppm added Fe, and 125 ppm of added Cu. Both Fe and Cu were added as sulfate salts. Tibia samples were obtained at the termination of both experiments. Samples were dried, ether extracted and breaking strength measured by the Instron testing machine. Bone strength measurements were stress (S), force per unit area as kg/cm$\sp2$) or modulus of elasticity (ME, a measure of bone stiffness in units of kg/cm$\sp2$). Results indicated, that S and ME values increased linearly with additions of Mn without added Cu and Fe. In treatments containing added Cu, an interaction (P $<$.05) was observed as ME values were depressed (P $<$.05). Histological investigations were performed in an attempt to explain these results.
Subject Area
Livestock
Recommended Citation
Bond, Paul Leon, "Influence of mineral nutrition and age on skeletal development and integrity in poultry" (1990). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9118446.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9118446