The effects of benzoic acid supplementation on the performance of broiler chickens.

To determine the efficiency of benzoic acid, a feeding experiment was carried out with 240 one-day old ROSS 308 cockerels. Birds were divided into three dietary treatments: I (C) - no additives, II (B1) - 0.1% inclusion of benzoic acid, III (B2) - the inclusion of 0.2% benzoic acid. The performance results were similar in birds fed the control diet and the diet with 0.1% of benzoic acid. The dietary inclusion of benzoic acid at 0.2% depressed the growth of broiler chickens (p < 0.05). The dry matter of the digesta increased in the crop and caeca after benzoic acid supplementation. The pH of the caecal contents decreased following benzoic acid supplementation and was the lowest in the B2 group. No differences were found in the pH of the crop, ileal, gizzard digesta and rectum content. Lactic acid bacteria populations were the lowest in the caeca of the B1 group (p < 0.05). Coliform bacteria decreased in the caeca contents following increased benzoic acid supplementation.