Housing Conditions of Broilers as Affected by Charcoal Treated Litter

Abstract

Maintaining dry litter is a key objective for successful broilers production. Two different types of litter (wood shavings straw and sand), and three different forms of charcoal in the litter, were arranged as treatments in a totally randomized block design (no treated litter, charcoal crumples and charcoal pellets). This experiment was conducted to evaluate the housing conditions (airborne and litter conditions) of broilers as affected by charcoal treated litters (wood shavings straw and sand). 180 one-day-old Cobb broiler chicks were split into six treatment groups, with three individuals per treatment (10 chicks per each).. Results of litter conditions as moisture, caking rate and bacterial count showed significant differences (P≤0.05) among studied litter treatments or types. Sand litter had significant superiority of moisture, caking rate and bacterial count over the wood shavings litter. Also, charcoal crumples and charcoal pellets treated litter decreased litter moisture percentage and bacterial count, while, insignificant differences were found in litter pH. The lowest ammonia concentrations inside the poultry house are observed for charcoal crumples and charcoal pellets treated litters. However, no significant differences were found in airborne dust particulates among studied litter treatments or types. The addition of charcoal (crumbles or pellets) to sand litter decreased litter moisture and ammonia levels, over that of wood shavings litter. Finally, charcoal treated sand may be used in place of wood shavings as litter material, with beneficial effects on the birds' health. This is dependent on the effectiveness of the charcoal and the availability of the sand.

Keywords

• housing
• broilers
• charcoal
• litter