The effect of acetic acid on broiler chicken performance

One experiment was conducted to study the effects of acetic acid on broiler performance. One hundred nightly eight day-old Ms, Mg and Sp free broiler chicks were randomly allotted to a 3*6 factorial arrangement of treatments from day 1 to 42. Dietary teretment consisted of 2% acetic acid (with 99.5% purity) and a control group (group 6) which received no growth promotion. Groups 1-5 received acetic acid during 0-2, 0-4, 2-4, 4-6 and 0-6 weeks of age respectively. Feed consumption, body weight gain and feed conversion raio were calculated weekly. At 42 days of age, birds fed the diet containing 2% acetic acid during 4-6 weeks (group 5) had body weight significantly (P<0.05) higher than body weight of the control group and four other groups feed conversion ratioo of chicks the group 5 on the during 6 to 7 weeks of age was significantly improved when acetic acid added to the control diet. However, the feed conversion ratio and body weight gain during 1 to 42 days of age were not significant improved.