Evaluation of Litter Treatments on Ammonia Control, Litter Condition, and Production Performances in Broiler Poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus)

• Haley Drysdale, Animal Science, University of Delaware

• Hong Li, Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware

Ammonia control is a vital component of broiler poultry production–as excess ammonia in the air decreases feed conversion efficiency, harms respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, and increases the development of dermatitis lesions among susceptibility to other diseases in birds. As they grow, chickens shed nitrogen into the soil as ammonium through fecal waste, feathers, and spilled feed. The alkaline nature of untreated poultry litter promotes rapid ammonia volatilization in the dark, moist environment of the brooderhouse. One method of ammonia control involves the solution-based chemical treatment of the organic bedding material in order to lower its pH and prevent excess ammonia volatilization. If this nutrient loss is limited, not only will the flock’s health improve, as will the economic and agronomic value of the litter by its ability to be recycled for future use. The objective of this research is to gain knowledge of a new effective ammonia control method through the evaluation of two treatments on litter condition in a lab setting. Results were achieved through the preparation of six environmentally controlled chambers with a thick layer of bedding material. Three days before chicks arrive, PPE was used to administer respective concentrations of litter treatment A7 to chambers one and six, then the novel litter treatment to chambers two and five while chambers three and four were left untreated as control groups. Throughout the birds’ seven week grow-out period, birds and feeders were weighed weekly to calculate each flock’s feed conversion rates. Additionally, weekly litter samples were collected from each chamber to evaluate and record their pH using a pH meter and moisture content (MC) through the oven drying method: 24 hr at 105 degree C. A software program recorded airflow and ammonia ppm. This study provides valuable insight on the use of poultry litter treatments to reduce ammonia volatilization in the broiler production industry.