Effect of different litter material on performance and behavior of broiler chickens

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of alternative litter materials on growth performance and behaviors of broiler chicks. Chicks were raised from 1 to 42 days of age, during the summer with an average temperature of 31 °C. In experiment 1, three hundred broilers (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to one of 20 floor pens. There were four replicates for each of the following five litter treatments: (1) no litter, (2) wood shaving, (3) sand, (4) rice hulls and (5) recycled paper roll. Results showed broilers reared on rice hulls had significantly lower body weight, feed intake and antibody titer ( P

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