Administration of propionate to day-old turkeys

The effects of salts of propionic acid on newly hatched turkeys were examined. In Experiment 1, poults were injected with .25 mL of 1 M solutions of either sodium propionate or calcium propionate. After a 24-h holding period, the poults were killed and assayed for blood glucose, liver weight, and liver glycogen. Sodium propionate increased blood glucose concentration but did not alter liver weight or liver glycogen compared with controls. Calcium propionate had no effect on blood glucose but increased liver weight and liver glycogen compared with controls. There was no mortality in saline-injected controls or sodium propionate poults; 4 of 10 poults injected with calcium propionate died. In Experiment 2, poults were administered 0 or 4% sodium propionate in the feed or 0 or 2% sodium propionate in the drinking water in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Propionate depressed feed intake and body weight by both routes of administration. Propionate in the feed, but not drinking water, depressed liver weight and liver glycogen. Plasma uric acid was increased by propionate in either the feed or the water but was not above control amounts when propionate was given in both the feed and water at the same time. Plasma propionic acid was increased by propionate in the water but not by propionate in the feed. We conclude that the use of propionate in injectibles, drinking water, or feed of newly hatched turkeys is contraindicated.