ARS | Publication request: EFFECTS OF MIXING BROILER LITTER WITH WHEAT STRAW BEFORE DEEP-STACKING AND ALKALINE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE TREATMENT ON FEED INTAKE, DIGESTIBILITY AND PERFORMANCE IN MATURE WETHERS

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Animal Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 16, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The digestibility of some sources of broiler litter is similar to that of medium-quality hay, although if digestibility of litter is relatively low, ruminant performance is determined by the degree to which feed intake is compensatory. Therefore, means to enhance digestibility and/or feed intake of broiler litter and roughage are of interest, especially if done simultaneously. Objectives of this experiment were to determine effects on feed intake, digestibility and performance of substituting deep-stacked broiler litter for wheat straw, alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment of litter and/or straw and stacking of litter separately vs mixed with straw. When wheat straw was supplemented with nitrogen, partial substitution of litter did not improve feed intake or change in body weight of mature wethers, regardless of alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment or time of feedstuff mixing. Therefore, no potential was evident to improve nutritive value of broiler litter by treatment with alkaline hydrogen peroxide or by mixing with wheat straw before deep-stacking.

Technical Abstract: Mature wethers (32, 17 mo of age and 41 +/- 1.3 kg body weight) were used in an 84-d experiment to determine effects of feed intake, digestibility, and performance of substituting deep-stacked broiler litter for wheat straw, alkaline hydrogen peroxide (HP) treatment of litter and/or straw and stacking of litter separately vs mixed with straw. Diets were comprised primarily of straw (S), straw treated with HP (TS), straw plus stacked litter (1:1, dry matter; S+L), HP-treated straw plus stacked litter (TS+L), straw plus litter treated with HP before stacking (S+TL), HP-treated straw plus litter treated with HP before deep-stacking (TS+TL), straw mixed with litter before stacking (SL) and straw mixed with litter then treated with HP before stacking (TSL). Straw and untreated litter (after deep-stacking) were 5 and 21% ash, 87 and 44% ash-free neutral detergent fiber, 6 and 33% crude protein and 12 and 8% acid detergent lignin, respectively. Straw diets (S and TS) were supplemented (dry matter) with soybean meal and urea (0.3 and 0.029% of body weight, respectively). Over the 84-d period, organic matter intake was 0.81, 1.02, 0.77, 0.98, 0.79, 0.75, 0.83 and 1.00 kg/d (SE 0.078), and daily body weight change was -65, 9, -51, 5, -22, -53, -46 and -16 g/d (SE 18.3) for S, TS, S+L, TS+L, S+TL, TS+TL, SL and TSL, respectively. During wk 5, organic matter digestibility was 48.1, 58.5, 39.1, 60.0, 51.7, 62.3, 49.2 and 54.7% (SE 1.79) for S, TS, S+L, TS+L, S+TL, TS+TL, SL and TSL, respectively. In conclusion, when straw was supplemented with nitrogen, partial substitution with litter did not improve feed intake or change in body weight of mature wethers regardless of HP treatment or time of feedstuff mixing.