Department of Poultry Science, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal-637 002, India.
*Part of M.V.Sc., thesis submitted by the first author to TANUVAS, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Two hundred broiler chicks, one day old, were randomly divided into five treatment groups with two replicates each. The drinking water was treated with 0.5 and 1 per cent lactic acid for acidification, 0.2 and 0.4 per cent sbdium chloride for alkalinisation and a control was provided to the birds in the respective treatment groups. The cimulative water consumption was highest with 0.2% alkalinisation group followed by 0.4% alkalinisation group, control, 0.5% acidification group and 1% acidification group. The hihgest mortality percentage 24.44% was observed in 0.4% alkalinisation group followed by 0.2% alkalinisation group with 6.67%. The cosntrol and 1% acidification group had the same mortality percentage as 4.44 per cent, whereas 0.5% acid treatment showed no deaths.
