Impact of different litter materials on behaviour and performance of broilers

الملخص EN

This work was conducted to study the effect of different types of litter materials on the productive performance and some behaviours of com-mercial broiler chickens.

In this study, 250 – day-old broiler (Lohman strain) chicks were obtained from a commercial hatchery and divided into five nearly equal weights groups (50 each).

The chicks were conventionally brooded for 7 weeks in environmental controlled rooms (0.14 m2/ bird).

Each of five cement-floored rooms was bedded using deep litter system with 8 cm of litter material {chopped wheat straw (WS), chopped rice straw (RS), 70% chopped rice straw mixed with 30% wood shaving (RSws), wood shaving (WSh) and sand (S)}.

Suitable commercial diet and drinking water were provided adlibitum using commercially available plastic circular feeders and drinkers along the experiment..

There were no significant differences in feed consumption, body gain and feed conversion between broilers reared on different types of litter materials.

While the highest litter pH and moisture were recorded in wood shaving and the lowest ones were recorded in sand when used as litter material.

Total bacterial, total fungal and coccideal oocyst count were higher in wood shaving litter material than those in chopped wheat straw, chopped rice straw, 70% chopped rice straw mixed with 30% wood shaving, and sand.

No cases of ocular discharge, blindness and cannibalism were observed in birds of all groups while leg and feet disorders were recorded only in birds kept on wheat straw and wood shaving.

But, breast blisters were observed in birds reared on rice straw and wheat straw (8 and 10 cases, respectively).

The highest mortality percent was recorded among birds reared on wood shaving followed by sand, rice straw, rice straw mixed with wood shaving and wheat straw.

Rest and dust bathing behaviours were increased in birds kept on rice straw and sand while, ground pecking was increased in birds reared on sand and wood shaving.