Subject: study the effects of Bicar®Z on gilt performance
The aim of the trial was to study the effects of sodium bicarbonate Bicar®Z on daily weight gain and feed efficiency.
Conditions of the study: increase the supplementation of Bicar®Z at 0.9% and 1.2%
The experiment was performed in summer on 220 crossbred females and lasted 98 days.
Bicar®Z was added to the diet (BC) at 0.9 and 1.2% dry matter of the ration in the first and in the second period of the trial respectively.
Results: higher daily gain and feed efficiency
During the first period of the experiment the gilts fed BC diet presented higher daily gain (699 vs 672 g) and more favorable feed efficiency (2.23 vs 2.31 g/d).
In the second period of the trial also the addition of Bicar®Z positively affected the body gain (618 vs 595 g/d) and the feed efficiency (3.11 vs 3.22 g/d).
Conclusions: what can you learn from this study?
The integration of Bicar®Z into the diet during the whole period of the experiment BC diets improved
- the growth rate (+3.9 %)
- and the feed efficiency (+3.3 %).