An experiment was conducted at the Department of Animal Science of UFV to determine the best electrolyte balance (EB) for broiler chicks performance from one to 21 days of age. One day old chicks, male, Ross were reared in the floor covered with shaving woods and fed two corn-soybean meal based diet with 20 and 23% of crude protein (CP) combined with 0; 50; 100; 150; 200; 250; 300 and 350 mEq/kg of EB. The experiment was analyzed as a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement of treatments (two CP levels and eight EB) with six replicates of 22 chicks each and 96 experimental units. Weigh gain (WG), feed intake (FI) and feed efficience (FE) were evaluates at 7, 14 and 21 days of age. The best EB estimate at 21 days for the FI were 185 (20% CP) and 194 (23% CP). However, for the WG, the best EB obtained were 166 (20% CP) and 177 (23% CP). Outside these levels of EB, restriction of FC ocurred and probable increase of water consumption. The FE was not significant. Based on the obtained data, EB should be from 166 to 177 mEq/kg for the best performance of chicks. It was also verified that it is possible to decrease the CP level without affecting the performance of the chicks if the rations were adequately supplemented by essential aminoacids in order to supply the nutritional requirement of the chicks.
electrolytes; acid basic balance; broiler chicks; production; protein level
