Evaluation of encapsulated sodium butyrate with varying releasing times on growth performance and necrotic enteritis mitigation in broilers

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an encapsulated sodium butyrate (Na-B) with targeted releasing times on growth performance and mitigating the impact of necrotic enteritis in broilers. Two Na-B (30% of Na-B content) products, CMA (2 h releasing time) and CMP (3 to 4 h releasing time), were evaluated in a necrotic enteritis challenge model. The experiment consisted of 4 Na-B treatments (500 and 1,000 ppm of each product) plus 2 control (non-challenged and challenged). A total of 336 Cobb–Cobb male broilers were placed 8 birds per pen into 7 replicate battery cages. On day 14, birds from challenged treatments were orally gavaged with ∼5,000 oocysts of Eimeria maxima. On day 19, 20, and 21, the challenged birds received 1 mL of 108 cfu/mL Clostridium perfringens. Total pen body weight (BW) and feed weight were assessed on day 14, 21, and 28 for BW gain and mortality-adjusted feed conversion ratio (FCR). On day 21, 3 birds were randomly selected per pen and scored for intestinal lesions. The duodenum and jejunum tissue were collected on day 21 and 28 for quantifying intestinal histology. Results revealed that adding CMA at 500 ppm showed significantly higher cumulative BW gain (P