Effects of sodium bisulfate or sodium sesquicarbonate as a sodium source in broiler chicken diets with or without a coccidiosis challenge.

Broilers commonly experience stressors such as coccidiosis, a parasitic infection that results in intestinal damage, malabsorption, and performance losses. The poultry industry is exploring alternatives to anticoccidials for controlling coccidiosis, especially through the enhancement of gut health. Sodium bisulfate (NaHSO; SBS), an acid salt, has been used for many years as a litter acidifier to reduce aerial ammonia in poultry housing. More recently, SBS has shown promise as a feed additive that improves growth performance through enhancing gut health in poultry. Two trials of 1,920 broiler chicks each were raised to 42 d in floor pens. Chicks were randomly divided into 1 of 4 treatments (480 chicks/treatment) on d 0 that utilized SBS (0.3 or 0.4% of diet) or control diets using sodium sesquicarbonate (0.2 or 0.3% of diet) as a sodium source. In Trial 2, birds were challenged with a 2 × dose of coccidiosis vaccine on d 0. Growth performance was measured on d 0, 14, 28, and 42. Each trial was analyzed independently to yield results for non-challenged or coccidiosis-challenged conditions. All data were analyzed with means separation using a Duncan's test. SBS and control treatments with equivalent sodium contributions were also directly compared. Significance was accepted at P ≤ 0.05. On d 28, broilers fed 0.4% SBS weighed more (P < 0.05) than broilers from either control, regardless of challenge status. This effect was sustained in the challenged broilers at d 42 but was not different (P > 0.05) in non-challenged broilers. No differences (P > 0.05) in feed intake or mortality were observed in either trial. Birds fed 0.4% SBS had lower feed conversion than both control treatments for d 0-42, regardless of challenge status. Collectively, these results indicate that SBS promoted growth performance with and without a coccidiosis challenge more than that of sodium sesquicarbonate as a supplemental sodium source. Because experimental treatments were balanced for mineral content, it is possible the sulfate content of SBS influenced these results.