The Responses of Chicks to Ammonium, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium Sulphates and to Ammonium and Potassium Carbonates

The responses of chicks of 14 days of age to increasing levels of dietary anions and cations were investigated in two experiments. Major reductions in weight gains per chick and in gain:feed ratios were observed in chicks as levels of dietary sulphate, with ammonium or potassium cations, were increased from 0 through 5 g. per 100 g. diet. Sodium sulphate had a similar but smaller effect. Calcium and magnesium sulphates increased weight gains and gain:feed ratios at low levels of dietary inclusion. The relative effect of anion and cation were studied in the second experiment. Potassium carbonate reduced weight gains and gain:feed ratio to a greater degree than potassium sulphate; however the higher dietary levels of ammonium carbonate had little effect on chick growth responses in contrast to the major reductions obtained in response to ammonium sulphate. There were no differences between responses of strains of chicks within experiments. None of the salts were lethal at the levels fed.