Effect of Feeding Various Levels of Sodium Fluoride to Growing Turkeys

RESULTS of numerous experiments in which fluorine as fluoride was added to the rations fed growing chickens and laying hens have been reported. Most of the experiments involve comparing fluoride bearing rock phosphates with other phosphorus supplements (Wheeler, 1903; Hartwell and Kirkpatrick, 1911; Lewis; 1913; Kennard and White, 1922; Buckner et al., 1923; Buckner et al., 1929; Halpin and Lamb, 1932; McConnell et al., 1944; Gerry el al., 1947; and Gerry et al., 1949). Generally these reports indicate that limited amounts of fluoride bearing rock phosphate can be used in chicken rations without affecting their performance, but their use as the only phosphorus supplement was not recommended. Kick et al. (1933) found that chicks could tolerate more fluoride as calcium fluoride than as sodium fluoride or the fluoride of rock phosphate. The fluoride in rock phosphate and that of sodium fluoride exerted similar effects on growth and feed consumption. Whenever …