What is the dosage of baking soda for chickens to drink
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is often dissolved in water and mixed into dough when making steamed buns, fried dough sticks and other foods at home, making foods such as steamed buns fluffier. Baking soda is also used in chicken farming, but many people do not know the dosage of baking soda used in the process of raising chickens. Let us take a look below at what the dosage of baking soda for chickens to drink is.
1. What is the dosage of baking soda for chickens to drink?
The dosage of baking soda for chickens to drink mainly depends on which aspects it is used for, and its dosage is different for different uses.
1. Kidney-clearing effect
When a flock has kidney swelling and mottled kidneys caused by excessive medication, or mottled kidneys caused by excessively high feed protein, as well as kidney swelling and mottling caused by conditions such as gout, baking soda can be used to clear the kidneys. The general dosage is 2 to 3 parts per thousand, with drinking water for 8 hours. When there is high mortality caused by mottled kidneys, 6 parts per thousand has been used clinically, and the effect after use is relatively good.
2. Neutralizing stomach acid
When a flock has proventriculitis and gizzard erosion, and excessive secretion of stomach acid, baking soda can be used in drinking water at a dosage of 2 to 3 parts per thousand, with a drinking time of 6-8 hours, which can effectively neutralize stomach acid.
2. Application of baking soda in chicken farming
1. Improving production performance. Baking soda can neutralize stomach acid and dissolve mucus, reduce the concentration of digestive juices, and has the effects of strengthening the stomach, inhibiting acid and increasing appetite. Adding 2 to 3 parts per thousand of sodium bicarbonate to the diet can increase the fertilization rate of breeding eggs by 4%-5%; adding 2 to 5 parts per thousand of sodium bicarbonate to the diet of 2-week-old broilers can increase weight gain by 5%-6%; adding 0.3%-0.5% sodium bicarbonate to the diet of laying hens can significantly increase their egg production rate, and can increase eggshell thickness by about 6%, reducing the breakage rate of eggs.
2. Relieving heat. High temperatures in summer easily cause metabolic acidosis in chickens. Adding sufficient sodium bicarbonate to the feed can eliminate this effect and balance the blood buffer. Tests show that when chickens are under heat stress, adding 3 to 5 parts per thousand of sodium bicarbonate to the feed reduces the flock's mortality rate by half compared with not adding sodium bicarbonate.
3. Regulating the acid-base balance in the body. The acid-base balance in the chicken's body mainly depends on the buffer system for regulation, and sodium bicarbonate is the most important part of the buffer system.
4. Reducing the incidence of ascites syndrome in broilers. Adding 1% sodium bicarbonate to a corn-soybean meal type diet can alkalize the diet and significantly reduce the incidence of ascites syndrome in broilers.
5. Reducing the occurrence of breast cysts in broilers. In feeding practice, replacing part of the salt with sodium bicarbonate can reduce the drinking water intake of broilers and improve the sanitary quality of the litter. After the litter quality is improved, the incidence of toe erosion and breast cysts decreases significantly.