The experiment was conducted to estimate the effect of heat stress and the potassium chloride (KCl) supplementation on performance and physiological characteristics (hematological parameters, rectal temperature) of broiler chicks. Forty birds, from 42 to 49 days, were submitted to heat stress (16 hours in 25 ± 1°C, two hours at increasing temperature, four hours in 35 ± 1°C and two hours at decreasing temperature until 25±1°C, with 63.5 ± 5% humidity) fed the following treatments: .50 and 1.00% KCl in the diet; .25 and .50% KCl in the drinking water). Corn-soybean meal diets, with 20% of crude protein and 3200 kcal EM/kg were fed ad libitum. The weight gain, feed intake and water intake, feed:gain ratio, mortality, water:diet ratio and excreta dry matter and the hematological characteristics evaluated were not influenced by KCl supplementation in the diet or in the water. The heat stress increased the rectal temperature, hematocrit, hemoglobin, heterophil and the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio and decreased erythrocytes, lymphocytes and serum sodium and potassium. The KCl supplementation in water regulates the level of erythrocytes and hemoglobin of broilers chicks stressed by heat. The heterophil:lymphocyte ratio and rectal temperature may be used as stress index.
water; potassium chloride; electrolytes; heat stress; hematology
