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Effect of Type of Housing and Litter on Production of Broilers1
1200
H. FISHER AND J. H.
Moore, S., D. H. Spackman and W. H. Stein, 1958. Chromatography of amino acids on sulfonated polystyrene resins. Anal. Chem. 30: 118S-1190.
QUISENBEERY
Summers, J. D., and H. Fisher, 1961. Net protein values for the growing chicken as determined by carcass analysis: exploration of the method. J. Nutr. 75:435-442.
Effect of Type of Housing and Litter on Production of Broilers1 M. G. MCCARTNEY Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30601 (Received for publication January 15, 1971)
ECENTLY there has been consider- able interest in the use of windowless-type houses for the production of broilers in the South. It is generally agreed that houses of this type which are fan-ventilated tend to be superior to conventional houses with respect to growth, feed conversion, mortality and condemnation of broilers to market age (Chalaupka et al., 1967; Stevens, 1967; Griffin et al., 1968; and McCartney et al, 1969). Ross (1968) has shown that mortality of chicks reared on fresh litter was slightly lower than for those reared on reused litter. On the other hand, Reed and McCartney (1970) found no difference in mortality of broilers reared on reused or new litter. Condemnations at the processing plant from leukosis were found to be lower for chicks reared on reused litter (Chalaupka et al., 1968). Although Witter et al., (1967) suggested that litter and droppings contaminated with Marek's disease agent could be an important mechanism for the natural spread of this disease, the results of the study of Chalaupka et al., (1968) substantiated the reports of many field studies and observations made by the poultry industry that condemnations from leukosis 1 University of Georgia College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, Journal Series Paper No. 963, College Station, Athens.
are less for broilers reared on reused litter. Since apparently both housing and litter affect the performance of broilers, including condemnation from leukosis, a study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of these two factors on broiler performance. PROCEDURES A 7.92 m. X 67.05 m. house located at the University's Broiler Farm was used to rear the broilers for this study. One end of the house was totally enclosed and insulated to provide a 7.92m. X 30.48m. windowless section, equipped with fans and ducts. The other end of the house (7.92m. X 30.48 m.) was open-sided, uninsulated and represented a typical broiler house used in the South. Each section of the house was sub-divided into two pens (7.92m. X 15.24 m.) by a wire partition. New pine shavings litter was used in one pen in each section of the house for each trial. In the other pen in each section, litter of the same material that had been used for two groups of broilers prior to this study was reused for each of the four trials. All pens were equipped with the same brooding, watering and feeding equipment and the same lighting system was used. The same broiler ration was used for all trials in this study. In all four trials 1,000 White Plymouth
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Oakland University on April 7, 2015
R
1201
HOUSING AND PRODUCTION OF BROILERS
Rock commercial broiler-type male chicks were placed in each pen. At 8 weeks of age they were caught, weighed and transported to a local processing plant. During the 8 week growing period, data were collected on growth, feed conversion and mortality. Condemnation information was obtained for each trial from the processing plant. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
TABLE 1.—Effect of type of house and litter on growth, feed efficiency, mortality and condemnation of broilers, with means being averaged over trails1 House Type
Litter Type
Av. Body Wt. kg.
Feed Effic.
Mort.
Open
Old New Av.
1.70 1.68 1.69
2.25 2.23 2.24
4.4 4.1 4.3
6.0 4.7 5.4
7.9 6.0 7.0
Enclosed
Old New Av.
1.73 1.73 1.73
2.21 2.22 2.22
4.8 3.6 4.2
4.0 7.0 5.5
6.9 9.9 8.4
Av. Av.
Old New
1.72 1.71
2.23 2.22
4.6 3.9
5.0 5.8
7.4 8.0
%
% Condemned
1 The differences between bouse types and litter types were not significant statistically (P < .05).
Feed Effic. b
%
Mort. b
% Condemned Leukosis
Total
2.14 2.39"b 2 . 2 0b 2.19
2.7b 3.5b
8.0" 8.8*b 3 . 41 1.6 '
9.2" 11.4" 4.4b 6.0°
2.23
4.2
5.4
7.8
3.1
' Means with the same superscript are not significantly different (P<.05). 'Trial 1.—9/11/69-11/6/69, Trial 2.—1/13/70-3/10/70, Trial 3.—4/14/70-6/9/70, Trial 4.-7/17/70-9/11/70.
for the third and fourth trials which were reared during the spring and summer months. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that there were no real differences in the performance of broilers grown in open or enclosed housing or on new or old litter. Therefore, under the conditions of this study it is not possible to justify the cost of providing insulated, fanventilated housing for broilers. Also, since the type of litter did not affect condemnation, it is similarly not justified to recommend the use of new litter between successive lots of broilers from the standpoint of mortality or condemnations. REFERENCES Chalaupka, G. W., E. W. Walpole, R. W. Lloyd, J. F. Gordy and L. M. Greene, 1967. Evaluation of a windowless broiler house. Poultry Sci. 46: 1242. Chalaupka, G. W., R. W. Lloyd, J. F. Gordy and L. M. Greene, 1968. Observations on the effect of the re-use of broiler litter on the incidence of Marek's disease. Poultry Sci. 47: 1660. Griffin, J. G., R. T. Parkhurst and T. H. Vardaman, 1968. Environmental conditions and chick response comparisons in windowless and conventional broiler houses. Poultry Sci. 47 : 1676. McCartney, M. G., J. A. Hamann and R. E. Childs, 1969. The effect of lighting system and feeder type on the incidence of bruising, and type of housing and feeder on production of broilers. Poultry Sci. 48: 1082-1084.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Oakland University on April 7, 2015
The mean weights, feed efficiency, mortality and condemnations averaged over trials are presented in Table 1. All data were analyzed using analysis of variance of pen means, using the arc sin transformation for all percentage valued. The analysis showed that neither type of housing (open vs. enclosed) nor type of litter (old vs. new) had any significant effect on any of the factors considered in this study. However, there was a significant difference (P > .05) among the four trials for feed efficiency, mortality and condemnation (Table 2). The second trial which covered the period from January 13, 1970 to March 10, 1970 had significantly higher feed efficiencies, mortality and condemnations than any of the other trials, with condemnation from leukosis and total condemnation being significantly higher for the first trial (September 11, 1969 to November 6, 1969) than
TABLE 2.—Summary of growth, feed efficiency, mortality and condemnation results by trial1
1202
M. G. MCCARTNEY
Reed, M. J., and M. G. McCartney, 1970. Physical properties of selected litter materials and performance of broiler chickens. University of Georgia College of Agriculture Experiment Stations Research Bull. 75. Ross, 1968. Fumigation and reuse of broiler litter. Poultry Sci. 47: 1711.
Stevens, F. R., 1967. Seasonal broiler performance in windowless broiler housing. Poultry Sci. 46: 1323. Witter, R. L., B. R. Burmester and G. H. Burgoyne, 1967. Survival of Marek's disease agent in litter and droppings. Poultry Sci. 46: 1339.
Pathogenicity of Eimeria mivati m Light and Heavy Coccidial Infections1
(Received for publication January 19, 1971)
J7IMER1A MIVAT I is the most recently J L / described of the nine recognized species of chicken coccidia (Edgar and Siebold, 1964). No controlled experiments. have been reported comparing the long; range effects of mild and heavy infectioni with this species. Such background information would aid the diagnostician in deciding if a flock has coccidiosis, requiring; treatment, or coccidiasis, requiring none. Coccidiasis (Levine, 1961) has been defined1 as a mild infection resulting in no measur-• able damage. In a recent study conductedI on E. acervulina, an upper intestinal coccidium, it was concluded that a lesion score: of + 1 and possibly + 2 lesions should be; diagnosed as coccidiasis in field cases (Reid1 and Johnson, 1970; Johnson and Reid,, 1970) while the more severe + 3 and + 4\ lesion scores should be classed as coccidio-sis and treated accordingly. To determine the effects of light, moderate and heavy infections of E. mivati onl broiler-type chickens, graded doses of E.. mivati oocysts were administered at fourr weeks of age. Weight gain and feed conver-1 University of Georgia College of Experiment Stations, Journal Series 966, College Station, Athens.
sion were compared at one and four weeks postinfection. MATERIALS AND METHODS
In two experiments, day old broiler-type cockerels were maintained in electricallyheated wire-floored brooders on unmedicated feed. At four weeks of age the birds were randomized by individual weights (Gardiner and Wehr, 1950) and divided into four treatment groups of five birds each. The treatments were (1) uninfected controls, (2) birds receiving 1000 oocysts of E. mivati, (3) birds receiving 50,000 oocysts, and (4) birds receiving 1,000,000 oocysts each. These dosages had been previously assayed to obtain light, moderate and heavy infection on the 0 to + 4 lesion score scale (Johnson and Reid, 1970). All birds were weighed 7 days post-inection (D + 7) and one pen was sacrificed to obtain an average lesion score for each treatment. The remaining three pens were again weighed at 28 days postinfection (D + 28). Feed conversion (feed consumed -f- weight gain) data were calculated for the 0 to 7 day postinfection period in both experiAgriculturee ments and for the 0 to 28 day postinfection Paper No.i. period in experiment 2. Differences in body weight and feed conversion were
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Oakland University on April 7, 2015
JOYCE JOHNSON AND W. MALCOLM REID Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, A thens, Georgia 30601
H. FISHER AND J. H.
Moore, S., D. H. Spackman and W. H. Stein, 1958. Chromatography of amino acids on sulfonated polystyrene resins. Anal. Chem. 30: 118S-1190.
QUISENBEERY
Summers, J. D., and H. Fisher, 1961. Net protein values for the growing chicken as determined by carcass analysis: exploration of the method. J. Nutr. 75:435-442.
Effect of Type of Housing and Litter on Production of Broilers1 M. G. MCCARTNEY Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30601 (Received for publication January 15, 1971)
ECENTLY there has been consider- able interest in the use of windowless-type houses for the production of broilers in the South. It is generally agreed that houses of this type which are fan-ventilated tend to be superior to conventional houses with respect to growth, feed conversion, mortality and condemnation of broilers to market age (Chalaupka et al., 1967; Stevens, 1967; Griffin et al., 1968; and McCartney et al, 1969). Ross (1968) has shown that mortality of chicks reared on fresh litter was slightly lower than for those reared on reused litter. On the other hand, Reed and McCartney (1970) found no difference in mortality of broilers reared on reused or new litter. Condemnations at the processing plant from leukosis were found to be lower for chicks reared on reused litter (Chalaupka et al., 1968). Although Witter et al., (1967) suggested that litter and droppings contaminated with Marek's disease agent could be an important mechanism for the natural spread of this disease, the results of the study of Chalaupka et al., (1968) substantiated the reports of many field studies and observations made by the poultry industry that condemnations from leukosis 1 University of Georgia College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, Journal Series Paper No. 963, College Station, Athens.
are less for broilers reared on reused litter. Since apparently both housing and litter affect the performance of broilers, including condemnation from leukosis, a study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of these two factors on broiler performance. PROCEDURES A 7.92 m. X 67.05 m. house located at the University's Broiler Farm was used to rear the broilers for this study. One end of the house was totally enclosed and insulated to provide a 7.92m. X 30.48m. windowless section, equipped with fans and ducts. The other end of the house (7.92m. X 30.48 m.) was open-sided, uninsulated and represented a typical broiler house used in the South. Each section of the house was sub-divided into two pens (7.92m. X 15.24 m.) by a wire partition. New pine shavings litter was used in one pen in each section of the house for each trial. In the other pen in each section, litter of the same material that had been used for two groups of broilers prior to this study was reused for each of the four trials. All pens were equipped with the same brooding, watering and feeding equipment and the same lighting system was used. The same broiler ration was used for all trials in this study. In all four trials 1,000 White Plymouth
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Oakland University on April 7, 2015
R
1201
HOUSING AND PRODUCTION OF BROILERS
Rock commercial broiler-type male chicks were placed in each pen. At 8 weeks of age they were caught, weighed and transported to a local processing plant. During the 8 week growing period, data were collected on growth, feed conversion and mortality. Condemnation information was obtained for each trial from the processing plant. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
TABLE 1.—Effect of type of house and litter on growth, feed efficiency, mortality and condemnation of broilers, with means being averaged over trails1 House Type
Litter Type
Av. Body Wt. kg.
Feed Effic.
Mort.
Open
Old New Av.
1.70 1.68 1.69
2.25 2.23 2.24
4.4 4.1 4.3
6.0 4.7 5.4
7.9 6.0 7.0
Enclosed
Old New Av.
1.73 1.73 1.73
2.21 2.22 2.22
4.8 3.6 4.2
4.0 7.0 5.5
6.9 9.9 8.4
Av. Av.
Old New
1.72 1.71
2.23 2.22
4.6 3.9
5.0 5.8
7.4 8.0
%
% Condemned
1 The differences between bouse types and litter types were not significant statistically (P < .05).
Feed Effic. b
%
Mort. b
% Condemned Leukosis
Total
2.14 2.39"b 2 . 2 0b 2.19
2.7b 3.5b
8.0" 8.8*b 3 . 41 1.6 '
9.2" 11.4" 4.4b 6.0°
2.23
4.2
5.4
7.8
3.1
' Means with the same superscript are not significantly different (P<.05). 'Trial 1.—9/11/69-11/6/69, Trial 2.—1/13/70-3/10/70, Trial 3.—4/14/70-6/9/70, Trial 4.-7/17/70-9/11/70.
for the third and fourth trials which were reared during the spring and summer months. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that there were no real differences in the performance of broilers grown in open or enclosed housing or on new or old litter. Therefore, under the conditions of this study it is not possible to justify the cost of providing insulated, fanventilated housing for broilers. Also, since the type of litter did not affect condemnation, it is similarly not justified to recommend the use of new litter between successive lots of broilers from the standpoint of mortality or condemnations. REFERENCES Chalaupka, G. W., E. W. Walpole, R. W. Lloyd, J. F. Gordy and L. M. Greene, 1967. Evaluation of a windowless broiler house. Poultry Sci. 46: 1242. Chalaupka, G. W., R. W. Lloyd, J. F. Gordy and L. M. Greene, 1968. Observations on the effect of the re-use of broiler litter on the incidence of Marek's disease. Poultry Sci. 47: 1660. Griffin, J. G., R. T. Parkhurst and T. H. Vardaman, 1968. Environmental conditions and chick response comparisons in windowless and conventional broiler houses. Poultry Sci. 47 : 1676. McCartney, M. G., J. A. Hamann and R. E. Childs, 1969. The effect of lighting system and feeder type on the incidence of bruising, and type of housing and feeder on production of broilers. Poultry Sci. 48: 1082-1084.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Oakland University on April 7, 2015
The mean weights, feed efficiency, mortality and condemnations averaged over trials are presented in Table 1. All data were analyzed using analysis of variance of pen means, using the arc sin transformation for all percentage valued. The analysis showed that neither type of housing (open vs. enclosed) nor type of litter (old vs. new) had any significant effect on any of the factors considered in this study. However, there was a significant difference (P > .05) among the four trials for feed efficiency, mortality and condemnation (Table 2). The second trial which covered the period from January 13, 1970 to March 10, 1970 had significantly higher feed efficiencies, mortality and condemnations than any of the other trials, with condemnation from leukosis and total condemnation being significantly higher for the first trial (September 11, 1969 to November 6, 1969) than
TABLE 2.—Summary of growth, feed efficiency, mortality and condemnation results by trial1
1202
M. G. MCCARTNEY
Reed, M. J., and M. G. McCartney, 1970. Physical properties of selected litter materials and performance of broiler chickens. University of Georgia College of Agriculture Experiment Stations Research Bull. 75. Ross, 1968. Fumigation and reuse of broiler litter. Poultry Sci. 47: 1711.
Stevens, F. R., 1967. Seasonal broiler performance in windowless broiler housing. Poultry Sci. 46: 1323. Witter, R. L., B. R. Burmester and G. H. Burgoyne, 1967. Survival of Marek's disease agent in litter and droppings. Poultry Sci. 46: 1339.
Pathogenicity of Eimeria mivati m Light and Heavy Coccidial Infections1
(Received for publication January 19, 1971)
J7IMER1A MIVAT I is the most recently J L / described of the nine recognized species of chicken coccidia (Edgar and Siebold, 1964). No controlled experiments. have been reported comparing the long; range effects of mild and heavy infectioni with this species. Such background information would aid the diagnostician in deciding if a flock has coccidiosis, requiring; treatment, or coccidiasis, requiring none. Coccidiasis (Levine, 1961) has been defined1 as a mild infection resulting in no measur-• able damage. In a recent study conductedI on E. acervulina, an upper intestinal coccidium, it was concluded that a lesion score: of + 1 and possibly + 2 lesions should be; diagnosed as coccidiasis in field cases (Reid1 and Johnson, 1970; Johnson and Reid,, 1970) while the more severe + 3 and + 4\ lesion scores should be classed as coccidio-sis and treated accordingly. To determine the effects of light, moderate and heavy infections of E. mivati onl broiler-type chickens, graded doses of E.. mivati oocysts were administered at fourr weeks of age. Weight gain and feed conver-1 University of Georgia College of Experiment Stations, Journal Series 966, College Station, Athens.
sion were compared at one and four weeks postinfection. MATERIALS AND METHODS
In two experiments, day old broiler-type cockerels were maintained in electricallyheated wire-floored brooders on unmedicated feed. At four weeks of age the birds were randomized by individual weights (Gardiner and Wehr, 1950) and divided into four treatment groups of five birds each. The treatments were (1) uninfected controls, (2) birds receiving 1000 oocysts of E. mivati, (3) birds receiving 50,000 oocysts, and (4) birds receiving 1,000,000 oocysts each. These dosages had been previously assayed to obtain light, moderate and heavy infection on the 0 to + 4 lesion score scale (Johnson and Reid, 1970). All birds were weighed 7 days post-inection (D + 7) and one pen was sacrificed to obtain an average lesion score for each treatment. The remaining three pens were again weighed at 28 days postinfection (D + 28). Feed conversion (feed consumed -f- weight gain) data were calculated for the 0 to 7 day postinfection period in both experiAgriculturee ments and for the 0 to 28 day postinfection Paper No.i. period in experiment 2. Differences in body weight and feed conversion were
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at Oakland University on April 7, 2015
JOYCE JOHNSON AND W. MALCOLM REID Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, A thens, Georgia 30601