
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Balnave, D. 
A1  - Brake, J. 
T1  - Responses of broilers to sodium bicarbonate supplementation of diets containing varying arginine : lysine ratios
JF  - Australian Journal of Agricultural Research
JO  - Aust. J.  Agric. Res.
Y1  - 1999
VL  - 50
IS  - 3
SP  - 425
EP  - 430
KW  - temperature, food intake, weight gain, plasma amino acids.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/A98121 
N2  - Interactions of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) with dietary arginine : lysine (arg : lys) ratios at thermoneutral (21&#x02DA;C) and high (31&#x02DA;C) temperatures were investigated with 21&#8211;42-day-old broilers fed diets containing increasing concentrations of arginine to produce arg : lys ratios of 1.05, 1.15, 1.25, and 1.35, with and without 16 g NaHCO3/kg. Consistent positive relationships were observed between increasing dietary arg : lys ratios and improved food intake and weight gain at 31&#x02DA;C with broilers fed diets without NaHCO3. The primary response to increasing dietary arg: lys ratio in broilers receiving NaHCO3 was increased food intake. This gave corresponding increases in weight gain at 31&#x02DA;C, but not at 21&#x02DA;C. Increases in dietary arg : lys ratio increased plasma arginine, ornithine, and arg: lys ratio but had little effect on plasma lysine concentrations. NaHCO3 alone had no direct effect on plasma amino acid patterns but was important in potentiating the elevated plasma arg : lys ratio responses observed at 31&#x02DA;C in broilers receiving NaHCO3 in their diet. The results indicate important interrelationships exist between dietary amino acids and electrolytes, and the existence of a nutritional requirement for bicarbonate at high temperatures. 
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