How to Use Sodium Bicarbonate in Animal Feed?

Sodium bicarbonate or baking soda is an alkali that is white, odorless, non-toxic crystalline powder widely used as a leavening agent. It is widely applied in business and is of utmost importance for animal health and nourishment. The product of sodium bicarbonate which can control the body’s acid-base balance has been widely used in today’s animal production system.

What is Sodium Bicarbonate Used for in Animal Feed?

1. Regulating Animal Body Acid-Base Balance

Sodium bicarbonate is used as the major acid-base contributor in animal feeds and therefore sodium bicarbonate in animal feed improves the buffering capacity of diets offered to the animals. The majority of feeds are naturally acidified especially those based on corn representing about 60% of the diets. This acidity comes during the metabolism process and baking soda helps to counter these acidic compounds which are good for the health of the ratchet system and relieve the aspect of acidity.

In animal health applications, this form of sodium bicarbonate powder helps to thin down digesting fluids, boost digestive system uptake, and increase eating enthusiasm. In chickens, the feed bicarb corrects disorders including adenomyosis gastritis as it helps to buffer gastric acid hence sparing the glandular stomach mucosa from damage. Furthermore, adding sodium bicarbonate in water helps in treating cases of some chickens with acid reflux or bloating, let alone boosting their recovery.

When ingested as an agricultural baking soda, it is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and aids in counteracting acidic substances in the bloodstream as well as balancing the different fluids in the body. This balance is important for the best animal nutrition.

2. Improving Egg Production Rate and Eggshell Strength

It is well known that the quality of eggshells depends on the regulation of adequate concentration of carbonate and sodium within the blood of poultry. Sodium bicarbonate useful for this purpose makes sure that phosphorus is as mobile in laying poultry as it needs to be for the formation of the eggshells. During hot summer days, poultry loses a considerable ratio of CO2 through respiration, thereby lowering blood carbonate levels and in this process, the availability of calcium carbonate the major constituent of eggshells is also lowered.

Increasing the dietary sodium bicarbonate addition to 0.2 % feed grade sodium bicarbonate during summer raises the overall dietary sodium bicarbonate level to 0.38% replenishing carbonate ions in the blood. This being the case, this adjustment not only gains better quality eggshells but also better rates of production of eggs and better feed conversion rates. Agricultural grade baking soda thus turns out to be a useful tool that can keep up production quality to the weather vagaries.

3. Alleviating Heat Stress

Heat stress is a well-known problem of poultry during hot summer months in particular. Above 35°C, birds tend to pant, and as a result of this, the blood alkali reserve comes down due to deeper exhalation of CO2. Such an imbalance disrupts the functionality of an endocrine system and results in poor human health.

In such cases, the addition of sodium bicarbonate in animal feed in proportion of 0.1 % to 0.5% increases blood pH and blood alkalinity enabling the animal to withstand heat stress occasioned by the environment. Furthermore, this type of intervention helps in maintaining the necessary metabolic operations while other weather extremes are in progress.

Farmers can directly tackle heat stress by adding baking soda to chickens’ water as well. To that extent, the following are the sodium bicarbonate uses in animals. It helps enhance water quality, which helps animals during periods of high stress, to hydrate.

Precautions Using Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate has multiple uses in animal nutrition, however, it should be used carefully as otherwise, the consequences may be negative. Below are some essential precautions:

• 1. Gastrointestinal Reactions: Sodium bicarbonate is an antacid that reacts with gastric acid, but the byproduct formed is carbon dioxide. Excessive consumption may also bring about episodes of bloating and gas. For example, when animal feed contains some additives such as acid, interaction with baking soda can result in extreme production of CO2 which has associated complications such as; perforation of the stomach. Thus, the use of sodium bicarbonate in water or feed should be strictly controlled.
• 2. Impact on Drug Efficacy: The use of sodium bicarbonate in animal health can influence the pharmacokinetics of administered medicines. This increases the gastric pH and antagonizes drugs such as doxycycline tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. That is why the use of sodium bicarbonate for animal feed should be done 2-3 hours before or after the use of other medications to avoid the above interactions. Furthermore, sodium bicarbonate raises the pH of urine promoting clearance of weak acid drugs such as aspirin and at the same time decreases the clearance of weak base drugs such as ephedrine. These interactions can reduce the efficacy of drugs or increase their toxicity making their management important.
• 3. Sodium Balance in Diets: Sodium bicarbonate being sodium salt it is essential to bear into mind the current levels of sodium chloride in animal feed. Depending on the diet, the levels of salt might be from 0.2 to 0.3%. At high levels, sodium bicarbonate increases alkalosis in animals because it should not be included in more than 0.5% of the daily diets.
• 4. Storage and Handling: Baking soda is very sensitive to moisture and reacts with CO2 when exposed to any form of acidity. Ideally, it should be kept in an airtight container in a dry environment, preferably away from pantothenic acid, Vitamin B, and Vitamin C. It is suggested that sodium bicarbonate should be prepared and mixed into feed or water and then used right away to maintain its effectiveness.
• 5. Optimal Dosage: Sodium bicarbonate dosage depends on the animal species and the conditions under which they are living. For instance, the concentration of sodium bicarbonate for sheep or poultry could be different as well as its administration – less or more, or less frequently. It is important to speak with agricultural professionals to get the best outcome.

Conclusion

Sodium bicarbonate is a critical ingredient in animal feeds due to its many benefits that include; maintaining the acid-base balance, enhancing the eggshell quality in poultry, and helping animals deal with heat stress. However, the use of the drug entails savvy in the use drug and particular concentration since it may trigger undesirable outcomes. When used wisely, feed-grade sodium bicarbonate can help to improve animal health and consequently increase production yield. Sodium bicarbonate in chickens’ water or as a feed additive falls among the most utilized products in modern farming.

Besides being applied in the poultry industry, other sodium bicarbonate uses in animals include sheep for digestion improvement and health boost. Thanks to solving the problem with the use of the multipurpose agricultural grade baking soda, the farmers can get the greatest effect for all kinds of livestock raising and, thus, healthier and more productive animals.

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