Effects of sodium diacetate on the growth, feed efficiency, and intestinal microflora of broilers

Three levels of sodium diacetate (.625, 1.25, and 3.75 g/kg diet) were incorporated into the diets of day-old broiler chicks. A control ration and a 20 mg/kg aureomycin ration were fed to additional groups of chicks. Each treatment contained 40 chickens at 3 weeks; the number was reduced to 20 chickens at 5 and 8 weeks. At 3 and 8 weeks of age, the large and small intestines of 5 chickens from each treatment were examined for selected microorganisms. Chick growth and feed efficiency were also recorded. The entire experiment was run twice, but in Trial 2 the lowest level of sodium diacetate treatment was replaced by a combination of sodium diacetate (.625 g/kg diet) and aureomycin (20 mg/kg diet). No improvement in the rate of growth was found in the sodium diacetate-treated groups, although additional weight gain was detected in aureomycin-fed groups at 2 weeks of age. Improved feed efficiency in the treated groups (sodium diacetate and aureomycin) was observed in both trials at 2 weeks and at 3 weeks of age in Trial 1. No feed efficiency effects were observed after that time. The sodium diacetate-fed groups showed an increased lactobacilli population in the small intestine along with a concurrent decrease in streptococci. The effect of sodium diacetate in reducing total coliforms in the large intestine was more obvious at 3 weeks than at 8 weeks. Aureomycin appeared to suppress the population of lactobacilli and total coliforms in this study. A combination of sodium diacetate and aureomycin failed to exhibit a synergistic effect either on the growth rate or on the intestinal microflora.