Dietary electrolyte balance in heat stressed broilers

Poultry industry is playing a pivotal role in narrowing down the gap between supply and demand of animal protein foods in developing countries. The tropical and subtropical environment poses a great threat to the production performance of poultry. A severe hot summer is a great challenge for fast growing broilers to grow fast and survive better. Reduce feed intake and nutrient digestibility causes a depression in growth rate in heat stressed broilers. Combating the negative affects of heat stress can be one of the primary concerns for poultry farmers as temperatures soar during the summer months. The search for the relevant solutions of heat stress alleviation has gained definite importance. This book, therefore, provides an insight into the use of dietary electrolytes and their balance (DEB) in broilers reared under varying environmental temperatures. The implications of DEB in heat stressed broilers would enable the poultry feed manufacturers and farmers to formulate an electrolyte supplemented diet that will enhance not only the performance but also the net return on broiler keeping during periods of heat stress.