Evaluating the effects of Vitamin C, Betaine, Vinegar, and Sodium Bicarbonate on growth performance, digestibility, immune response, and hematological parameters in Broilers

Abstract

Heat stress significantly impacts the poultry industry, especially during the summer season, leading to reduced growth performance, feed intake, immunity, digestibility, and hematological disturbances in broiler chickens. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Vitamin C, betaine, vinegar, and sodium bicarbonate supplementation on the growth performance, digestibility, immunity, and hematology of broilers under heat stress conditions. A total of 200 broiler chickens were divided into five groups (A-E), with Group A serving as a control group under ideal environmental conditions. The remaining groups (B-E) were subjected to heat stress at 37.5°C and supplemented with Vitamin C (250 mg/kg), betaine (2 g/kg), vinegar (10 ml/kg), and sodium bicarbonate (250 mg/kg), respectively. The study spanned 42 days, covering three stages: starter, grower, and finisher phases. Data on feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), hematological parameters, and immunity were collected and analyzed using ANOVA. Results indicated that Vitamin C supplementation significantly improved growth performance, feed intake, and FCR, making it the most effective treatment under heat stress. Betaine also showed favorable results but ranked second to Vitamin C. Vinegar and sodium bicarbonate negatively affected feed intake and FCR, though they improved hematological parameters. These findings suggest that Vitamin C is the best anti-stressor for broilers under heat stress, while betaine can also be used. However, vinegar and sodium bicarbonate should be avoided in such conditions due to their adverse effects on growth performance.