Acid-base balance in broilers

High ambient temperature could result in numerous physiological and metabolic changes in broilers, that adversely impact broiler performance and immune response. In addition to environmental control techniques that have been frequently used to reduce the negative impact of heat stress on birds' performance, other measures have been studied. Lately, proper nutritional management has shown to be effect as a preventive measure against heat stress because the function of the thermoregulating system of broilers (heat production, evaporative and non-evaporative routes for heat dissipation) can be influenced by diet. This applies particularly to the establishment of proper electrolyte balances due to their physiological importance in the heat stress mechanism. Thus, nutritional mechanisms should be reassessed as a tool to control this metabolic dysfunction in birds.