Tropentag, September 17 - 19, 2014 in Prague, Czech Republic "Bridging the gap between increasing knowledge and decreasing resources"

Effect of Dietary Sodium Diformate in Broilers on the Productivity Index Against a Positive Control

¹ADDCON, Germany
²Salus, Brazil

Abstract

Gastrointestinal diseases pose a serious threat to commercial poultry production. In the past this hazard was controlled by the prophylactic use of antibiotics. Since the EU ban on antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in 2006, which led other markets to consider similar steps, new strategies against gastrointestinal diseases in livestock have been developed. Organic acids and their salts are commonly used to suppress gastrointestinal disorders. Potassium diformate for instance, is the first substance with EU-approval as a non-antibiotic growth promoter for pigs. In a new commercial study, sodium diformate (NDF) was tested against a positive control (AGP) in order to demonstrate similar effects in poultry.
The trial was conducted under large scale conditions in Ceará, Brazil in 2013 and aimed to test NDF against a commercial broiler diet containing an antibiotic growth promoter (Colistin). Feed and water were available ad libitum. Around 500,000 one day old birds from 33 different houses were included in the study and were compared to the same number of birds (from the same houses) and their subsequent performance from the previous year. Performance data were measured at the end of the trial and the European Broiler Index (EBI) calculated as: EBI = ADG [g] × Survival [%] / (10 × FCR). The average growth period was 45 days. The positive control group used 60 g Colistin per t of feed for the first 21 days, while the treatment group added 0.1% NDF during the same time period. EBI data were analysed using the t-test. The results are given as mean ± SD with a confidence level of 95%.
EBI in the houses with 0.1% NDF was increased by 5.1% (P=0.006). Due to the inclusion of sodium diformate, EBI in 10 out of 33 houses reached a value above 300 (max. 331), whereas the Colistin-treated houses attained only a maximum EBI of 297.
These findings lead to the conclusion that the addition of 0.1% sodium diformate considerably improves overall broiler performance, combining effects on daily gain, survival and feed efficiency, even when compared to the use of an AGP.

Keywords: Colistin, European broiler index, poultry, sodium diformate

Contact Address: Christian Lückstädt, ADDCON, Kaiserstrasse 1a, 53113 Bonn, Germany, e-mail: christian.lueckstaedtaddcon.com