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Effect of bedding types and different nutrient densities on growth performance, visceral organ weight, and blood characteristics in broiler chickens

Department of Animal Resource & Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, Choongnam, 330-714, Korea

¹ Corresponding author: inhokim{at}dankook.ac.kr

The principal objective of this study was to assess whether bedding types could influence the growth performance of broiler chickens fed on high and low nutrient density diets. The broilers were bedded with clean hulls or shavings. Four hundred eighty male broiler chickens (Ross) were divided into 6 treatment groups, including 1) a high-density diet with rice hulls, 2) a high-density diet with wood shavings, 3) a high-density diet with coconut hulls, 4) a low-density diet with rice hulls, 5) a low-density diet with wood shavings, and 6) a low-density diet with coconut hulls. Weight gain, feed intake, G:F, visceral organ relative weight, red blood cells, white blood cells, and lymphocyte concentrations were evaluated. The bursa of Fabricius, liver, and abdominal fat relative weight, white blood cells, and lymphocyte concentrations were not altered consistently by any of the treatments. For the overall period, weight gain and feed intake were greater in the coconut hull treatment groups as compared with the wood shavings treatments (P < 0.05). Feed intake was also greater in the low-density diet than in the high-density diet treatment groups (P < 0.05). The concentration of red blood cells in blood was reduced significantly by wood shavings bedding compared with the rice hull treatments (P < 0.05).

Key Words: broiler • bedding • rice hull • wood shaving • coconut hull