Three levels of
sodium diacetate (.625, 1.25, and 3.75 g/kg diet) were incorporated into the diets of day-old broiler chicks. A control ration and a 20 mg/kg
aureomycin ration were fed to additional groups of chicks. Each treatment contained 40 chickens at 3 weeks; the number was reduced to 20 chickens at 5 and 8 weeks. At 3 and 8 weeks of age, the large and small intestines of 5 chickens from each treatment were examined for selected microorganisms. Chick growth and feed efficiency were also recorded. The entire experiment was run twice, but in Trial 2 the lowest level of
sodium diacetate treatment was replaced by a combination of
sodium diacetate (.625 g/kg diet) and
aureomycin (20 mg/kg diet). No improvement in the rate of growth was found in the
sodium diacetate-treated groups, although additional
weight gain was detected in
aureomycin-fed groups at 2 weeks of age. Improved feed efficiency in the treated groups (
sodium diacetate and
aureomycin) was observed in both trials at 2 weeks and at 3 weeks of age in Trial 1. No feed efficiency effects were observed after that time. The
sodium diacetate-fed groups showed an increased lactobacilli population in the small intestine along with a concurrent decrease in streptococci. The effect of
sodium diacetate in reducing total coliforms in the large intestine was more obvious at 3 weeks than at 8 weeks.
Aureomycin appeared to suppress the population of lactobacilli and total coliforms in this study. A combination of
sodium diacetate and
aureomycin failed to exhibit a synergistic effect either on the growth rate or on the intestinal microflora.