Effects of Salvinia as a broiler litter material on growth performance, behavior, welfare parameters, litter characters, and ammonia emission.

The type of litter material has direct impacts on production, behavioral, and welfare parameters of broilers. The price of conventionally-used litter materials is increasing. Salvinia molesta is a fast-growing aquatic plant which has become an environmental issue in some areas. This study assessed the suitability of air-dried Salvinia plants (SAL) as an alternate litter material to paddy husk (PH). Resulting in a completely randomized experiment, a total of 240 broilers was raised in 12 floor-pens each provided with either PH or SAL as litter materials, from 11 to 36 d. Scan sampling technique was employed to record the birds' engagement in 15 predetermined behaviors. Foot pad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn damage (HBD) and plumage cleanliness (PC) were assessed using Welfare Quality Scoring System. Litter samples were analyzed for pH, dry matter%, water holding capacity, porosity, N%, tapped-density and ammonia emission rate. The litter material had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on mortality, growth performance parameters, dressing % and visceral organ weight. The scores for FPD and PC were unaffected by the litter materials. SAL litter reported significantly lower (P < 0.05) HBD scores. The percentages of birds engaged in eating and wing flapping behaviors were significantly lower on SAL. Litter type had no significant influence on the color, aroma, flavor, texture and overall acceptability of breast meat. Air-dried Salvinia plants reported acidic pH. SAL litter gave a significantly higher tapped-density. Ammonia emission rate of SAL litter was significantly lower than that of PH. However, the final litter N content was higher for PH (3.7%) than SAL (3.2%). The study proposes air-dried Salvinia plants as a litter material for broilers since it gives growth performance comparable to PH with reduced hock burn damage incidences. Effects of SAL on behavior and the fertilizer value of the spent litter are to be studied further.

Effects of two litter amendments on air NH3 levels in broiler closed-houses.

OBJECTIVE: High NH3 emissions from poultry houses are reported to have negative impacts on health, welfare and safety of birds and humans, and on the environment. Objective of the present study was to determine the effects of two litter amendments on the NH3 levels in broiler closed houses under hot-humid conditions. METHODS: Giving a completely randomize design, nine closed houses, each housed 32,500 birds on paddy husk litter, were randomly allocated into two treatment (Mizuho; a bacterial culture mix and Rydall OE; an enzymatic biocatalyst) and control groups. NH3 levels were determined thrice a day (0600, 1200, and 1800 h), at three heights from the litter surface (30, 90, and 150 cm), at 20 predetermined locations of a house, from day 1 to 41. RESULTS: Rydall significantly reduced the NH3 level compared to control and Mizuho. NH3 levels at 30 cm were significantly higher than that of 90 and 150 cm. The NH3 levels at 30 cm height were higher than 25 ppm level from day 9, 11, and 13 in Mizuho, control, and Rydall groups, respectively to day 41. NH3 levels at 150 cm height were higher than maximum threshold limit of 50 ppm for human exposure from day 12, 14, and 15 in Mizuho, control, and Rydall groups, respectively to day 33. Being significantly different among each other, the NH3 level was highest and lowest at 0600 and 1800 h. Litter amendments had no significant effects on growth performance. Rydall significantly increased the litter N content on day 24. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the NH3 levels of closed house broiler production facilities under tropical condition are so high that both birds and workers are exposed to above recommended levels during many days of the growing period. Compared to microbial culture, the enzymatic biocatalyst was found to be more effective in reducing NH3 level.

Comparison of ammonia emission rates from three types of broiler litters.

The objective of this study was to compare the emission of NH(3) from 3 types of broiler litters. Three litter materials (refused tea, RT; sawdust, SDT; and paddy husk, PH) were randomly assigned into 18 cages. Twenty-day-old broiler chicks (n = 216) were randomly allocated into cages and were fed a commercial broiler finisher diet from 21 to 42 d. Three litter samples were taken from each cage on 36 and 42 d. Three subsamples taken from each cage were pooled and analyzed for moisture, pH, and N. Litter samples were incubated for 5 h, and the emitted NH(3) was trapped with boric acid and then titrated with HCl to determine the NH(3) emissions. The emission of NH(3) from RT litter (13.2 mg/kg of litter per h) on d 36 was 61% less than that from SDT and PH. The NH(3) emission rate of RT litter on d 42 (13.0 mg/kg per h) was very similar to that on d 36 (13.2 mg/kg per h). However, emission rates of SDT and PH on d 36 increased by 57.8 and 33%, respectively, when determined on d 42. Emission of NH(3) from RT litter on d 42 (13.0 mg/kg per h) was significantly (P < 0.05) less than that from SDT (54 mg/kg per h) and PH (44 mg/kg per h) litters. When the emission rate was computed as grams of NH(3)/hour/animal unit (AU), the emission rates of RT litter on d 36 (3.4 g/h per AU) and 42 (5.1 g/h per AU) were significantly (P < 0.05) less than that of SDT and PH. The N contents of the RT litter on 36 and 42 d were 6.6 and 6.7%, respectively, and were significantly (P < 0.001) greater than the respective values of SDT and PH. It was concluded that emission of NH(3) from poultry houses could be reduced substantially by using RT as a litter material.

The use of refused tea as litter material for broiler chickens.

A completely randomized design experiment was conducted to determine the suitability of refused tea (RT) as a litter material for broiler chickens. Physiochemical properties of RT were compared with paddy husk (PH). Subsequently, broilers were raised on RT- or PH-based litter to compare the performances and litter qualities. Twenty-day-old broiler chicks (n = 150) were randomly allocated into 6 deep litter pens so that each treatment had 3 replicates. Chicks received 0.8 ft(2) of floor spacing until d 28 and 1.3 ft(2) thereafter. Each cage had a feeder and a drinker. Litter materials and litter samples taken on 28, 35, and 39 d were analyzed for bulk density, moisture, ash, and N. Chick mortality was low (1.3%) and similar on 2 types of litters. Live weights on d 28, 35, 39, and weight gains, feed intakes, dressing percentages, and feed conversion ratios were not affected by the type of litter material. The bulk density, moisture level, and pH of the RT were comparable with PH. Even though the water-holding capacity of PH (213%) was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than RT (70%), the latter material had significantly higher (P < 0.01) water-releasing capacity compared with the former (17.9 vs. 13.6%). Throughout the experiment the RT litter had around 10% units higher moisture level than PH litter. By d 39, the moisture content of the RT litter was (48%) significantly higher (P = 0.05) than PH litter (37%). The N contents of RT litter were higher (P < 0.05) than those of PH on d 28, 35, and 39, being 8.1, 7.8, and 7% and 3.4, 3.6, and 3%, respectively. It was concluded that RT could be successfully used as an alternative litter material for broilers. A higher N content in RT-based spent broiler litter would make it be a better organic fertilizer and ruminant feed compared with PH-based litter.