The effect of the supplementation of electrolytes on de performance of broilers using sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and potassium chloride (KC1) to adjust the electrolytic balance of the diet (BED) with two percentages of raw protein (PB) was studied. 800 male broiler chickens, housed in 20 boxes, distributed in random lineation, with four treatments, five repetitions and 40 birds per experimental unit were used. The treatments were: base diet; diet with no reduction of PB supplemented with electrolytes to adjust BED to 250mEq/kg; diet with a reduction of PB, with no electrolyte supplementation; and diet with the reduction of PB, with electrolytes to adjust the BED to 250mEq/kg. What was evaluated was: diet consumption, final weight, weight gain, average daily weight gain, food conversion and caloric efficiency of the use of nitrogen and lysine in phases from 7 to 21 and 7 to 42 days. No differences were observed (P>0.05) in diet consumption. The correlation of BED with the lower percentage of PB improved (P<0.05) the final weight in the initial phase. Weight gain and food conversion worsened (P<0.05) in both phases. The reduction of three percentage points in the PB in the diet worsened the broiler chicken's performance.
chicken; electrolyte; acid-base balance; raw protein
