Alleviation of fluorine toxicity in starting turkeys and chicks with aluminum

Aluminum (Al) compounds were evaluated as fluorine (F) toxicity alleviators in starting broiler chicks and turkeys. Added F levels from NaF ranged from 0 to 1000 ppm, whereas Al levels varied from 0 to 800 ppm. Al was fed either as Al2O3 or Al2 (SO4)3.18H2O. When fed as the sulphate salt, 800 ppm of Al completely prevented the toxic effect of at least 1000 ppm of F. Al2O3 was not effective as an alleviator of fluorine toxicity. When the mode of action of Al2(SO4)3.18H2O against F toxicity was studied in colostomized turkeys it was apparent that F absorption occurred but was probably less efficient than previously reported in ruminants. Al significantly (P less than .05) reduced F absorption in turkeys. Urinary F levels were: 2.4 ppm in birds fed a control diet (26 ppm F), 17.8 ppm in birds fed a diet with 1000 ppm F, and 6.7 ppm in birds fed the high F diet with 800 ppm Al as the sulphate salt. In addition, data from this study indicated that starting broiler chicks were more tolerant (800 ppm F) than starting turkeys (600 ppm F) to fluorine toxicosis.