INCREASED BONE STRENGTH IN COOP-REARED BROILERS PROVIDED FLUORIDATED WATER

The feasibility of using F- to mitigate bone fragility (osteoporosis) that develops in cage-reared broilers was determined. The treatments consisted of adding NaF to the drinking water at the levels of 100, 150, 200 and 200 ppm of F- in the 4 experiments, respectively. Birds were transferred from starting batteries at 4 wk old into 6 coops. Birds in 3 coops served as controls; birds in the other 3 coops were provided the fluoridated water ad lib from 4-8 wk old. No significant differences were observed in the final body weights between treated and control birds in the 4 experiments. The percentage of bone ash was usually greater from the treated birds than from the controls. These differences were significant (P .ltoreq. 0.01) in the 150 and 200 ppm treatments. At all levels of fluoridation, the strengths of humeri were significantly (P .ltoreq. 0.01) increased. At the lowest level of fluoridation, 100 ppm the increase was significant only in the females. Tibia strength was significantly (P .ltoreq. 0.01) increased only at the 200 ppm level. The increase in bone strength from fluoridation may be sufficiently great enough to result in a decrease in the incidence of bone breakage during the processing of coop-reared broilers.