SODIUM SESQUICARBONATE TOXICITY IN BROILER-CHICKENS

A case of feed misformulation resulted in the addition of sodium sesqu icarbonate (SSC) into broiler chicken feed. SSC is a buffering agent u sed in the manufacture of high urea ruminant feeds that were also prod uced in this feed mill. Within 2 days of receipt of the tainted broile r feed on the farm, chickens were exhibiting polydypsia and wet droppi ngs and had increased levels of mortality The postmortem lesions were dehydration, fluid-filled intestines, swollen,pale kidneys, and viscer al urate deposits. Histopathology of the kidneys revealed dilated tubu les with a giant cell response, loss of tubular epithelium, and a few needlelike crystals. The mortality within 4 days of exposure in three severely affected houses reached 17%. An analysis of the feed revealed sodium levels ranging from 2.259 to 4.88%, with chloride levels of 02 4%-0.40%. Ten percent of the ration was thought to be SSC that contain s 36% sodium. To determine if the presence of the SSC caused the probl ems observed, a controlled study was undertaken. One hundred fifty 3-w k-old broilers were evenly distributed into three floor pens. One grou p was fed a normal grower radon, a second group was fed a ration conta ining 5% SSC, and a third group received a ration with 10% SSC. Mortal ity packed cell volumes (PCV) total serum proteins, and histopathology of the kidneys were determined. The 10% SSC group had a 6% mortality. Dehydration was evident by elevated PCV within 1 day of ingestion of either ration containing SSC. Microscopic lesions in the kidney were m ore severe in chickens ingesting SSC when compared with control groups .