EVALUATION OF THE TOXICITY OF ALUM (ALUMINUM SULFATE) IN YOUNG BROILER-CHICKENS

Two experiments were conducted to characterize the toxicity and evalua te the efficacy of alum to increase intestinal strength in young broil er chicks. Cobb x Cobb male broiler chicks were placed in an experimen tal design consisting of six dietary treatments of alum (control, 0.23 , 0.47, 0.93, 1.9, and 3.7%) with four replicate pens of 10 broilers p er pen. The chicks were housed in electrically heated batteries and pr ovided the treatments for ad libitum consumption from 1 d to 3 wk of a ge. Alum significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) decreased body w eights at 1.9 and 3.7% in Experiment 1 and at 0.93, 1.9, and 3.7% in E xperiment 2. Feed conversion and the relative weight of the gizzard we re increased in both experiments at 3.7%. Serum phosphorus was decreas ed at 1.9 and 3.7% in Experiment 1 and at 3.7% in Experiment 2. Intest inal and bone strength were decreased in both experiments at 3.7%. Bon e ash was reduced at 3.7% in Experiment 2, bone S levels increased at 1.9 and 3.7% in Experiment 1 and at 3.7% in Experiment 2, and bone Al levels were elevated in both experiments at 3.7%. Muscle levels of P a nd S decreased, and that of Ca increased at 3.7%. Aluminum levels were not elevated in muscle tissues. These data indicate that alum can be toxic to young broiler chicks, but at levels that would not be expecte d to be reached through litter consumption, and that alum did not incr ease intestinal strength.