Effect of formic acid on performance, digestibility, intestinal histomorphology and plasma metabolite levels of broiler chickens
- 1 February 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in British Poultry Science
- Vol. 47 (1), 50-56
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00071660500475574
Abstract
1. The effect of dietary formic acid on performance, digestibility, intestinal histomorphology and plasma metabolite levels of broiler chickens was studied. 2. An experiment with 120 Ross male broiler chickens was conducted from 1 to 42 d of age at the laboratory. There were 4 treatment groups: control (C), 10 mg/kg feed avilamycin (AV) and formic acid at two concentrations, 5 and 10 g/kg feed (FA5 and FA10, respectively). 3. No differences in weight gain, feed intake or feed conversion ratio were observed in male broiler chickens fed on the different diets. 4. An effect of the additives on ileal dry matter (DM) digestibility at 42 d of age was detected with the finisher diets; AV and 10 g/kg of feed formic acid slightly improved ileal DM digestibility compared to the other treatment groups. 5. Jejunum pH was not affected when 5 or 10 g/kg formic acid was added, and the results do not clearly show a positive effect of formic acid on the intestinal histomorphology. 6. No differences were noticed for blood metabolites in the different diets, and the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the plasma were not altered by formic acid addition. 7. In conclusion, when using broiler chickens under conditions of good hygiene, dietary formic acid did not have a clear positive effect on performance, intestinal histomorphology or plasma metabolite levels; however, there was a slight positive effect on the ileal digestibility of nutrients.Keywords
This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- The effect of citric acid and microbial phytase on mineral utilization in broiler chicksAnimal Feed Science and Technology, 2003
- Use of Organic Acids as a Model to Study the Impact of Gut Microflora on Nutrition and MetabolismJournal of Applied Poultry Research, 2002
- The effects of microbial phytase, organic acids and their interaction in diets for growing pigsLivestock Production Science, 2000
- Effect of microbial phytase, vitamin D3, and citric acid on growth performance and phosphorus, nitrogen and calcium digestibility in growing swineAnimal Feed Science and Technology, 1998
- Growth promotants in feeding pigs and poultry. III. Alternatives to antibiotic growth promotantsAnimal Research, 1998
- Reduction in Incidence of Experimental Fowl Typhoid by Incorporation of a Commercial Formic Acid Preparation (Bio-Add™) into Poultry FeedPoultry Science, 1996
- An in vitro procedure for studying enzymic dephosphorylation of phytate in maize-soyabean feeds for turkey poultsBritish Journal of Nutrition, 1995
- Performance Characteristics and Microbiological Aspects of Broilers Fed Diets Supplemented with Organic AcidsJournal of Food Protection, 1995
- Control of salmonella infections in broiler chickens by the acid treatment of their feedVeterinary Record, 1988
- A new method of determining metabolisability of energy and digestibility of fatty acids in broiler dietsBritish Poultry Science, 1975