Indian J. Anim. Res.

, 43 (2) : 153-154, 2009 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION CENTRE

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EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LITTER MATERIALS ON PERFORMANCE OF

COMMERCIAL BROILERS IN TEMPERATE AGRO-CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
OF KASHMIR VALLEY IN SUMMER SEASON
Azmat Alam Khan, G. A. Bhat and M. T. Banday
Division of Uvestock Production and Management
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar, 190 006, India.

ABSTRACT
An experiment was carried out to study the effect of different litter materials, T1 sawdust (control),
T2 chaffed wheat straw, T3 dried tree leaves and T4 wood shavings on the performance and cost of
production of commercial broilers reared in temperate agro-climatic conditions of Kashmir valley
during summer season. Results indicated statistically insignificant difference in all production
parameters viz final body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption and FeR. Economic analysis
revealed that cost of production was least for the group reared on saw dust followed by those reared
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on chaffed wheat straw, dried tree leaves and wood shavings. It could therefore be concluded that
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while chaffed wheat straw, dried tree leaves and wood shavings could be used as alternate litter
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materials to saw dust without significantly affecting the performance, saw dust was the most economical.
Key words: Broilers, Performance, Litter materials.

Litter materials used in deep litter system of
poultry rearing perform dual function of absorbing
the moisture from poultry droppings and providing
.. /insulation from heat and cold. Cheap and easily
available agro-industrial by-products are used as
litter materials. In Kashmir Valley saw dust (a by-
product wood sawing industry) is the most
commonly used litter material. Over the last few years
owing to the fact that saw dust is being put to newer
uses, its availability has decreased. Various workers
have tried to explore the possibility of using other
locally available litter materials for raising broilers
(Singh and Sharma 2000 and Ahmed et a12005 ab ).
No such attempt seems to have been made in
Kashmir Valley to find the possibility of using litter
materials other than saw dust. Accordingly a study
was under taken to evaluate other locally available
agro-industrial waste products viz chaffed wheat
straw, wood shavings and dried tree leaves as litter
materials for broiler rearing in agro-dimatic
conditions of Kashmir Valley.
132 day old commercial broiler chicks were
brooded in battery brooders for five days after which
they were shifted to deep litter system and randomly
distributed into four treatment groups vizTt (control),
T2, T3 and T4 having well dried and measured
quantities of saw dust, chaffed wheat straw, dried
tree leaves and wood shavings as litter materials
respectively. The chicks were reared up to 36 days
of age during which they were fed standard broiler
starter mash and offered water ad lib. Thebirds were
vaccinated against RD and IBD at 5 th and 15th day
of age respectively. Initial and final body weight was
recorded on individual basis and feed consumption
on group basis. Weight gain and FCR during
experimental period was calculated. Treatment wise
mortality was also recorded. Economics in terms of
cost of production based on feed cost per Kg live
weight and litter cost per Kg live weight was also
calculated. Data were analysed as per Snedecor and
Cochran (1987).
Numerically the birds reared with saw dust
as litter material attained better body weight
(l385.5424.71g) at 36 days of age, consumed
lesser feed and had lowest FCR (1.9730.038) as
compared to other groups. There was one mortality
 154 INDIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL RFSEARCH
Table 1: Performance of broilers on different litter materials and their economics during Summer Season
Paramet~r T1(Saw dust) T2 (Chaffedstraw) T3 ( Dried Tree leaves) T4 (Wood shavings)
Initial body weight(g) (6 days) 73.43 1.97 73.63 1.00 71.550.49 69.36 1. 73
Final body weight (g) (36 days) 1385.5424.71 1367. 72 15.26 1351.0834.29 1362.7824.81
Weight gain (g) 1312.07624.93 1294.08 16.147 1279.5434.01 1293.42 25.84
Feed Consumption (g) 2590.2837.65 2608.758.72 2599.1210.28 2650.5344.78
fC.R 1.9730.038 2.0170.028 2.0340.048 2.0490.013
Feed cost* /Kg live wt (Rs) 32.67 33.28 33.62 33.95
Litter materials used (kg) 7 6 5 6
Cost of litter materials (Rs) 10.50 30.00 10.00 12.00
Cost of litter materials/Kg live wt (Rs) 0.24 0.46 0.22 0.28
Feed cost + Litter cost/Kg live wt(Rs) 32.91 33.74 33.84 34.23
Mortality 1(3.03%) 1(3.03%) 1(3.03%)
*Cost/Kg diet= Rs 16.56

.' each in Tp Tz and T4 groups while there was no per Kg live weight was lowest (Rs 32.91) for the group
. mortality in T 3 . Ahmed et al (2005 a ) have also reared with saw dust as a litter material fallowed in
observed insignificant differences in the performance order by Rs 33.74, Rs 33.84 and Rs 34.23
of broilers raised on paddy husk as a litter material respectively in the groups where chaffed wheat straw,
vis a vis saw dust. Similarly Singh and Sharma dried tree leaves and wood shavings. Ahmed et al
/' (2000) and Singh (1999) did not observe any (2005b ) reported lesser cost of production for paddy
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significant difference between the performance of husk as compared to saw dust.

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broilers reared on different litter materials. It could therefore be concluded that, while
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Ecollomic analysis revealed that feed cost!
Kg live weight was Rs 32.67,33.28,33.62 and 33.95
for Tl, T2, T3 and T4 groups respectively and cost
of litter materials per Kg of live weight attained was
Rs 0.24, 0.46, 0.22 and 0.28 for saw dust, wheat
straw, dried tree leaves and wood shavings
respectively. The over all cost ( Feed + Litter cost)
saw dust continues to be the litter material of choice
in terms of economy of production, other locally
available agro-industrial by products vis chaffed
wheat straw, dried tree leaves and wood shaVings
could also be used as litter materials in broiler farming
without any statistically significant adverse effect on
their performance.

REFERENCES
rd
Ahmed, S. K et al (2005 Proceedings 23 Conference of Indian Poultry Science Association 2:342
8
)

Ahmed, S. K et al (2005b) Proceedings 23rd Conference of Indian Poultry Science Association 2:343
Singh C. B (1999) Proceedings of 20h Conference of Indian Poultry Science Association: 109
Singh, C. B and Sharma, R. J. (2000) Indian J. Anim. Res. 34(1):78-79
Snedecor, G. Wand Cochran, W. G (1989) Statistical Methods 8 th Edn Iowa State University Press Ames Iowa