Salt Poisoning in Broiler Chickens on a Diet with High Percentage of Blue Mussel () Meal.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of high dietary inclusion of blue mussel meal (BMM) on the health of Ross 308 broiler chickens. In total, 1980 chicks were divided into three groups: control diet (CD), 14% BMM (BMM14), and 21% BMM (BMM21). Clinical signs of distress, including lethargy, dyspnea, subcutaneous swelling, and increased water intake, emerged in BMM21 birds 4 days after diet introduction, with similar symptoms appearing later in BMM14 birds. Mortality reached 13.64% in BMM21 and 5.61% in BMM14, compared to 1.36% in CD. Postmortem investigation revealed widespread anasarca (generalized subcutaneous edema and accumulation of fluid in body cavities), swollen kidneys, and swollen testes. The birds also showed significantly elevated water-to-feed ratios in the BMM groups (up to 3.63), exceeding the ideal ratio of 1.7. Nutritional analysis indicated that the sodium and chloride levels in the BMM diets were 2 to 4 times higher than in the CD diet, which was substantially above recommended thresholds. Diarrhetic shellfish poison was detected in the blue mussel meal but not in the liver tissues of BMM21 birds. The findings suggest that high dietary inclusion of BMM with high sodium and chloride concentrations may induce salt intoxication in broilers, underscoring the need for cautious feed formulation when marine-derived ingredients are used. Further development of desalting technology is necessary to explore the full potential of blue mussels as an alternative source of protein.