Sodium bicarbonate is a chemical compound classified as a mineral salt. It appears as a white crystalline powder and is often added to poultry feed as a nutritional supplement for sodium to achieve the following goals:
- Increase the dietary cation-anion difference (electrolyte balance), as bicarbonate neutralizes or reduces the acidic environment of the bird's digestive system.
- Despite its weak buffering capacity, it helps maintain the bird's acid-base balance by preventing severe pH fluctuations.
- In hot seasons (summer) and high temperatures, up to one-third of the salt in poultry feed can be replaced with bicarbonate.
- It is used to improve eggshell quality, reduce the negative effects of heat stress, prevent ascites disease in poultry, increase growth rates, and improve feed conversion efficiency.