The effect of vitamin C supplementation (75 and 150 mg/kg) was evaluated in male broiler feeding under heat stress, crowding and normal floor space conditions. The results showed that crowding conditions (10 vs. 14 birds/m²) affected negatively (P<0.05) body weight gain from 28 to 48 days of age. Feed conversion from 35 to 48 days of age was unproved (P<0.01) in birds supplemented with 75 mg/kg as compared to the control. Birds which received 150 mg of vitamin C per kg of feed showed better feed conversion than the control birds, but differences were not significant.
vitamin C; stress; hot weather; floor space; broilers