Effect of dietary supplementation of sodium bicarbonate and Emblica officinalis (Amla) powder on production performance and egg quality in white leghorn layers

Abstract

This study evaluated the efficacy of Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO?) and Amla (Emblica officinalis) powder as feed additives for White Leghorn laying hens were conducted at Poultry Unit, Division of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Science, College of Agriculture, Pune. A total of 160 birds (32 weeks old) were distributed into four treatment groups: T0 (Control), T1 (1 g NaHCO?/bird), T2 (1.5 g Amla/bird), and T3 (Combination of both). The experiment was conducted over 12 weeks. Results indicated that T1 (NaHCO? alone) significantly improved body weight (1524.27 g) and Feed Conversion Ratio (1.99) compared to the control. While T3 recorded the highest Hen Day Egg Production (82.22%), T1 exhibited superior egg quality traits, including the highest egg weight (62.91 g), albumin height and yolk metrics. No significant differences were observed in feed intake or shell thickness. The study concludes that 1 g/bird of sodium bicarbonate is the most effective single additive for enhancing layer performance and egg quality.