What is sodium bicarbonate?
Sodium bicarbonate is the sodium salt of carbonic acid. It is produced industrially either from synthetic soda ash or from natural soda deposits (trona); Türkiye has trona-based production. Feed grade is a high-purity white powder or crystal supplied in different particle sizes.
In the body and in the rumen, bicarbonate is a natural buffer: it neutralises acid and releases carbon dioxide. Sodium bicarbonate is mildly alkaline and slowly decomposes when heated, releasing carbon dioxide.
Sodium bicarbonate in poultry
Poultry diets need sodium, and common salt (sodium chloride) is the cheapest source. However, salt supplies chloride together with sodium. Replacing part of the salt with sodium bicarbonate lets the nutritionist meet the sodium requirement while keeping chloride under control.
- Electrolyte balance: dietary electrolyte balance (dEB, often calculated as Na + K − Cl in mEq/kg) affects water intake, acid-base balance and performance; sodium bicarbonate raises dEB without adding chloride.
- Heat stress: during hot periods it is commonly used to help maintain electrolyte and acid-base balance and support water intake.
- Litter quality: controlling chloride and total salt can help limit excessive water intake and wet litter.
- Layers: it is often used in summer diets in support of eggshell quality, alongside correct calcium and vitamin D₃ supply.
Sodium bicarbonate in ruminants
In dairy cows and feedlot cattle fed high-concentrate rations, rapid fermentation of starch produces acids that can lower rumen pH. Saliva normally buffers the rumen, but on low-fibre diets saliva production falls. Sodium bicarbonate is added to the ration as a dietary buffer to help stabilise rumen pH, support fibre digestion and milk fat, and reduce the risk of subacute ruminal acidosis.
It also raises the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD), which is desirable in lactating cows. It is therefore normally not used in close-up dry cow diets that are deliberately formulated with a low or negative DCAD.
How is inclusion assessed?
Inclusion is not set as a fixed rate but calculated from the sodium, chloride and electrolyte targets of the diet (poultry, pigs) or from the buffering need of the ration (ruminants), taking into account sodium and chloride from all ingredients. A useful conversion: pure sodium bicarbonate supplies about 274 g sodium per kg, while salt supplies about 393 g per kg, so replacing the sodium from 1 kg of salt requires about 1.43 kg of sodium bicarbonate. Excess sodium increases water intake and can cause wet litter or other problems, so the total must stay within the diet's targets and local regulations.
Quality criteria for feed-grade sodium bicarbonate
- Purity (NaHCO₃ content): feed grades are high purity; the actual value is taken from the certificate of analysis.
- Sodium carbonate and moisture: indicate degradation or poor storage and affect caking.
- Particle size: fine grades mix well into premixes; coarser grades flow better and dust less.
- Heavy metals: within the undesirable-substance limits of feed legislation.
- Flowability and caking: it should be stored dry and away from heat in sealed bags.
- Traceability: a certificate of analysis (CoA) and lot number for every batch.
CTF Premix and sodium bicarbonate
Because it is often used at relatively high inclusion levels, sodium bicarbonate is commonly added directly at the feed mill. It can also be included in CTF Premix's mineral and custom premixes according to the customer's formulation, for example in mineral feeds or electrolyte-focused mixes. Premixes are produced at our 10,000 m² facility in Ankara under ISO 9001:2015 and GMP with lot traceability, and each lot's certificate of analysis can be viewed on the batch verification page.
This page is for general information. Inclusion rates and product choice should be decided with a nutritionist, taking into account the species, the feed formulation and the applicable regulations.