Dietary Amino Acid and Sodium Bicarbonate Responses in Broilers Reared in Hot Environmental Temperatures

Better environmentally controlled broiler houses have resulted in many integrated broiler operations using the same dietary feed formulations in winter and summer months due to only minor differences in environmental temperature in the broiler house. Much research has addressed broiler nutrient needs in thermoneutral vs. hot temperature conditions, but research evaluating nutrient needs of broilers during moderate temperature conditions (tunnel-ventilated houses during summer months) is lacking. This study evaluates the impact of increasing dietary Lys and other essential amino acids, and the addition of dietary sodium bicarbonate in high and moderate temperature conditions. Experiment 1 was conducted in batteries and evaluated broiler nutritional responses (d 20 to 40) in hot-cyclic temperature conditions (26 to 34°C). Experiment 2 was conducted in floor pens and evaluated broiler nutritional responses (d 37 to 49) in environmental temperature ranges that mimic a tunnel-ventilated broiler house during summer months (26 to 31°C). In both experiments, dietary treatments had minimal impact on live performance and breast meat yield. Lower mortality (P < 0.06), however, was observed in broilers fed the low CP diet in the hot temperature environment.