Effect of Acetic Acid and Sodium Bicarbonate Supplemented to Drinking Water on Water Quality, Growth Performance, Organ Weights, Cecal Traits and Hematological Parameters of Young Broilers

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Currently, many poultry productions supply drinking water extracted from wells or other sources whose physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics are sometimes unknown, especially pH and its impact on production and health of the birds during their productive life. The following study evaluated the effect of an acidifier (acetic acid 0.4%; T1), an apparently neutral pH (T2) and the use of an alkalizing (sodium bicarbonate 1%; T3) in drinking water on growth of broilers during their first 10 days of life. T3 changed the normal parameters of drinking water for the broilers, and this treatment also provoked high mortality, ascites and poor productive development, and it modified the relative weight of the immune organs, liver, heart and pancreas, as well as the cecal pH, although cecal lactic acid bacteria count and hematological indicators were unchanged. Likewise, it is contradictory that T1 did not show improvements in performance and cecal traits compared to drinking water with an apparently neutral pH. Therefore, the supply of alkaline water (due to high Na content) affects the performance, health, immunity and digestive physiology of broilers, which shows that the control of this parameter in drinking water has a direct impact on animal growth and the economy of the poultry producer. ABSTRACT: To evaluate the effect of acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate supplemented to drinking water on water quality, growth performance, relative organ weights, cecal traits and hematological parameters of broilers, a total of 456 one-day-old Cobb MV × Cobb 500 FF mixed broilers were randomly placed in three experimental treatments, with four replicates per treatment and 38 birds per replicate, for 10 days. The treatments consisted of the use of acetic acid (0.4%; T1) as acidifier, an apparently neutral pH (T2) and sodium bicarbonate (1%; T3) as alkalizer of the drinking water. T3 showed the highest values (p < 0.05) for total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, salinity and pH. T1 and T2 showed the same productive response (p > 0.05); however, T3 decreased (p < 0.05) body weight, feed intake and the relative weight of the pancreas and immune organs and increased (p < 0.05) water intake, mortality and relative weight of the heart and liver. Likewise, T3 increased (p < 0.05) the cecal pH, although without changes for the cecal lactic cecal bacteria count and blood parameters (p > 0.05). The acid pH of the drinking water had no effect on the biological response of broilers compared to T2; however, the T3 provoked high mortality, ascites, low productivity and abnormal growth of some organs.