Shao Dan, He Jiao, Lu Jian, Wang Qiang, Chang Lingling, Shi Shou Rong, Bing Tong Hai
Poultry Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
Poultry Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Poult Sci. 2015 Jan;94(1):1-6. doi: 10.3382/ps/peu003.
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of litter thickness on growth performance, immune status, environmental condition, and welfare quality in yellow broilers. In total, 1,800 one-day-old Suqin yellow broilers were raised for 21 d. On d 22, 1,600 birds of similar BW (404±12 g) were randomly selected and placed into 20 indoor pens (8 birds/m2, 10 m2/pen). These birds were assigned to a litter treatment of 4, 8, 12, and 16 cm. Each treatment was repeated in five pens. The results showed that a thicker litter was related to increased BW, daily weight gain, and daily feed intake (P<0.001). Feed conversion ratio and mortality were unaffected by litter thickness (P=0.320, P=0.353, respectively). Absolute and relative liver weights showed a significant linear response to increasing litter thickness (P=0.01, P=0.001, respectively). The litter moisture content, air ammonia, and CO2 content decreased, whereas the air dust content increased with increasing litter thickness (P<0.001, P=0.017, P=0.033, P<0.001, respectively). Litter thickness had no effect on gait, plumage damage, hock burn or breast skin crusting (P = 0.076, P=0.964, P=0.131, P=0.401, respectively). Plumage cleanliness, foot pad dermatitis, hock swelling and breast blister varied significantly with litter thickness (P=0.027, P=0.011, P=0.014, P=0.042, respectively). The results of this study suggest that an increasing litter thickness has a beneficial effect on the growth performance, environmental condition and welfare of birds.
进行了一项实验，以评估垫料厚度对黄羽肉鸡生长性能、免疫状况、环境条件和福利质量的影响。总共饲养了1800只1日龄的苏禽黄羽肉鸡21天。在第22天，随机挑选1600只体重相近（404±12克）的鸡，放入20个室内鸡舍（每平方米8只，每个鸡舍10平方米）。这些鸡被分配到4厘米、8厘米、12厘米和16厘米的垫料处理组。每个处理组重复5次。结果表明，较厚的垫料与体重增加、日增重和日采食量增加有关（P<0.001）。饲料转化率和死亡率不受垫料厚度的影响（分别为P=0.320，P=0.353）。绝对和相对肝脏重量对垫料厚度增加呈显著线性反应（分别为P=0.01，P=0.001）。垫料含水量、空气氨含量和二氧化碳含量降低，而空气粉尘含量随垫料厚度增加而增加（分别为P<0.001，P=0.017，P=0.033，P<0.001）。垫料厚度对步态、羽毛损伤、跗关节灼伤或胸部皮肤结痂没有影响（分别为P = 0.076，P=0.964，P=0.131，P=0.401）。羽毛清洁度、脚垫皮炎、跗关节肿胀和胸部水泡随垫料厚度变化显著（分别为P=0.027，P=0.011，P=0.014，P=0.042）。本研究结果表明，垫料厚度增加对鸡的生长性能、环境条件和福利有有益影响。
