Evaluation of dietary presence or use of cadmium in poultry

SUMMARY

Cadmium is a heavy metal and non-essential in animal nutrition. In practice, cadmium toxicity is quite rare in farm animals because the level in commercial diets is very low. However, cadmium-contaminated feedstuffs in the diet may cause toxicity. When it is absorbed from the digestive system, it accumulates in the body tissues, primarily the kidneys and liver, and causes metabolic and physiological inconveniences in the body. This leads to economic losses due to the resulting decrease in feed intake and egg production. It can lead to higher mortality depending on the level and duration of exposure. The toxic level of cadmium varies according to the bird species and their ages, e.g. chickens are more sensitive than quail. Low dietary cadmium doses (<10 mg/kg) can have positive effects on production and eggshell quality, but higher doses of cadmium (>10 mg/kg) lead to toxicity symptoms, worsening productive performance and eggshell quality in poultry. Dietary zinc, selenium, vitamins and plant extracts have been shown to help to eliminate the negative consequences of cadmium contamination in feedstuffs. However, further studies are needed to determine the toxic levels, and the possible positive effects of cadmium on performance and product quality when used at lower doses in poultry.

KEYWORDS:

• Cadmium
• toxicity
• poultry
• performance
• eggshell
• accumulation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Notes on contributors

O. Olgun

O. Olgun, Associate Professor, Program of Feeds and Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Selcuk, Konya, Turkey.

A.O. Yildiz

A.O. Yildiz, Professor, Program of Feeds and Animal Nutrition, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Selcuk, Konya, Turkey.

A. Şahin

A. #x15E;ahin, Professor, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kirsehir Ahi Evran, Kirsehir, Turkey.