Acetic acid for broiler fed rations experimentally contaminated with “Salmonella Enteritidis” and “Salmonella Typhimurium”

Abstract

An experiment was performed with 200 chicks at 1 day old . Fowls were allotted in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications of 10 chicks, each. Ration was based on corn-soybean, formulated according to nutritional requirements and without any animal by-product or conservatives. This ration was experimentally contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium and treated with acetic acid in five different concentrations (0, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%) from eight to 21 days of age. Weight gain, feed intake and feed-to-gain ratio were evaluated and, simultaneously, the efficiency of acetic acid to reduce and/or eliminate, from experimental rations, the pathogen, at different supplementation levels . The presence of bacteria was evaluated from cloacal swabs and pool liver, heart and gall bladder of one fowl from each experimental replication. The acetic acid levels of 0.5%, 1.0% 1.5% and 2.0% influenced positively the weight gain and feed-to-gain ratio. When the Salmonella sp. recovering was analyzed in treated rations, the concentration of 1.5% acetic acid showed the highest reduction on bacterial contamination. Acetic acid at 1.5% concentration was effective to reduce Salmonella sp. contamination in ration, but not to eliminate concentrations.