INFLUENCE OF DIETARY LEVELS OF FAT, FIBER, AND COPPER-SULFATE AND FATRANCIDITY ON CECAL ACTIVITY IN THE GROWING TURKEY

Two experiments were conducted with 6- to 10-wk-old turkeys. In Experi ment 1, 6-wk-old turkeys were fed diets varying in level of fat (4.4 t o 10%) of fiber (2.5 to 9.0%). The diets also contained extra copper a s copper sulfate at either 0.1 or 0.2% of the diet. At 8 wk of age, 15 replicate birds were housed in individual cages and all excreta was c ollected. Excreta was separated as being 'regular' or 'cecal' in origi n based on appearance. At 10 wk of age, 10 birds per treatment were ki lled and cecal contents removed under anaerobic conditions. Cecal cont ents were assayed for various nutrients and viscosity was measured. In a second comparable study, turkeys were fed animal vegetable fat or r egular or rancid canola oil (60.25 vs 120.24 ng/g malonaldehyde, respe ctively). In Experiment 1, feeding copper sulfate had the most noticea ble effect on various cecal parameters. There was an increase (P<0.01) in dry matter cecal droppings produced and the cecal contents were of increased viscosity (P<0.05). Copper had no effect on pH or microbial colony count of the cecal contents. Feeding copper resulted in a sign ificant increase in the high molecular weight (>300,000) fraction of c ecal contents and this fraction was of higher viscosity. Feeding coppe r sulfate resulted in a dramatic increase in copper content of cecal c ontents (280 to 11,848 ppm), although the copper content of regular ex creta was also increased (17 to 1,008 ppm). The various levels of fibe r and fat generally had no effect on cecal parameters. Feeding rancid canola oil did result in increased viscosity of cecal contents, compar ed to the situation seen with fresh canola oil. Fat rancidity per se, however, failed to influence other parameters such as total mass of ce cal material produced and composition of cecal material. Feeding coppe r sulfate or rancid fat will increase the viscosity of cecal material, which may contribute to litter management problems.