What are the usage and dosage of baking soda for feeding chickens?

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is something many people are familiar with. When we make steamed buns, fried dough sticks and other foods at home, we often dissolve baking soda powder in water and mix it into the dough, making the steamed buns and other foods fluffier. However, baking soda is also used quite widely in chickens. So, do you know the usage and dosage of baking soda for feeding chickens?

I. Usage and dosage of baking soda for feeding chickens

1. Kidney-clearing effect

When a flock develops kidney swelling, mottled kidneys due to overdose of 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. Did you catch the key point? When baking soda is used as a kidney-clearing drug, it is only effective against kidney swelling and mottled kidneys.

The dosage is 2 to 3 per thousand in drinking water for 8 hours. When there is high mortality caused by mottled kidneys, 6 per thousand has been used clinically; this is a very large amount, and such a large dose is forbidden unless there is a high-mortality situation. It should be noted that in cases of kidney swelling and bleeding caused by diseases such as influenza or infectious bronchitis, do not use baking soda to clear the kidneys; instead, use professional kidney medications for treatment.

2. Neutralizing stomach acid

As an adjunct treatment for proventriculitis and gizzard erosion: when a flock develops proventriculitis and gizzard erosion with excessive secretion of stomach acid, baking soda can be given in drinking water at 2 to 3 per thousand for 6-8 hours. Because baking soda will settle in the drinking water, it can also be mixed into the feed.

3. Relieving heat stress

In the hot summer, flocks are especially prone to metabolic acidosis due to high temperatures. Adding 1 to 2 per thousand of baking soda to the daily ration can effectively relieve the impact of heat stress caused by high temperatures on the flock.

4. Absorbing odors and dampness in the chicken coop

Placing baking soda in the chicken coop can effectively absorb odors and dampness in the air, and the baking soda after placement can also be used to clean utensils such as feed troughs and water troughs.