Dietary sodium bicarbonate coccidial challenge, and ionophore coccidiostats in broiler chickens

Sodium bicarbonate, a widely available feed ingredient (27.1% sodium and 71 .9% bicarbonate), was tested at levels of 0 to 0.4% in broiler chicken diet s. Pen trials were conducted across several seasons at two locations. Built -up litter offered a "natural" exposure to coccidia in all of the studies. Some tests included inoculation with oocysts of three Eimeria species (E. a cervulina, E. maxima, and E. tenella) via drinking water at 14 days of age. Dietary sodium bicarbonate levels of 0.2 to 0.4% yielded significant improv ements in body weight, feed efficiency, coccidial lesion scores, livability , carcass yield, breast yield, an occasionally, abdominal fat pad, although not all responses were found in all studies. A level of 0.1% sodium bicarb onate appeared ineffectual. The recommended range for continuous feeding of commercial broilers, day-old to market age, at all times of year is 0.2 to 0.3%. Given commercial broiler performance improvements (and concomitant r eductions in feed expense per unit of live weight) similar in magnitude to those achieved in these experiments, and a typical price only 2 to 3 times that of salt in the United States, sodium bicarbonate exhibits a favorable benefit:cost ratio in broiler production.