The effects of using camelina meal and substitution of sodium bicarbonate for dietary common salt on growth performance and occurrence of ascites in broilers reared at high altitude

This study was concluded in order to investigate the effects of inclusion of camelina meal (CM) and substitution of the dietary salt by sodium bicarbonate (SB) on performance and ascites incidence in broilers reared at high altitude. A total of 672 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to 7 treatments with 6 replications of 16 birds. Experimental treatments included the diet base on corn and soybean meal without salt replacement by SB (control), diets containing 5 and 10 percent of CM in combination with 25, 50 and 75 percent substitution of SB for sodium chloride. Feeding experimental diets reduced productive performance of chicks so that diets containing 10% CM with 50 or 75 percent SB replacement reduced feed intake and body weight gain and increased feed conversion ratio when compared to the control birds (P<0.05). The effect of the experimental treatments was not significant on carcass percentage and relative weights of breast, thigh and liver, but decreased the relative weights of abdominal fat, heart, spleen and bursa of Fabricius (P<0.05). The right ventricle to total ventricles weight ratio and ascites mortality reduced as a result of CM utilization and substituting of SB for dietary salt (P<0.05). Generally, the utilization of diet containing 5% CM and 25% replacement of sodium chloride by SB are recommended to reduce of ascites mortality without impaired performance in broilers reared at high altitude.