Effect of vitamin D3 and guanidinoacetic acid on performance, some physiological parameters, carcass characteristics and behavior of broilers affected by lactic acidosis

Lactic acidosis occurs as a result of hypoxia and rapid growth of broilers and can be considered as a physiological stress. In two experiments, the effect of extra nutritional levels of vitamin D3 and guanidinoacetic acid was investigated on performance, relative weight of organs, some physiological and behavioral parameters of broiler chicks under lactic acidosis stress.

In both experiments, 144 chickens of Ross 308 strain were used to study the effect of subcutaneous injection of vitamin D3 at 0 (negative and positive controls), 20,000, 30,000, 40,000 and 50,000 international unit and dietary levels of GAA at 0, 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4 and 3 g/kg in a randomized complete block design with 6 treatments, 4 replications and 6 birds per replication.

In the first experiment, liver fat concentrations in birds receiving 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 were 21.79% and 19.16% lower, respectively, compared to negative control and birds receiving 30,000 IU of vitamin D3 (p<0.05). In Experiment 2, the survival rate of birds receiving 1.8 and 3 g/kg GAA in the diet was greater than the birds receiving 0.6 and 1.2 g/kg GAA (p<0.05). Behavioral parameters of the birds were affected by vitamin D3 injection as well as GAA dietary levels (p<0.05).

The results show that subcutaneous injection of vitamin D3 at the level of 50,000 IU and adding GAA to diet at the level of 1.8 g/kg has positive effects on modulation of physiological stress caused by lactic acidosis in broilers.