the influence of bedding material and collecting period

available products in South Africa, the aim of the study was to look at the effect of
these four waste products as a bedding material, on the production performance of
commercial broilers in a conventional floor system, during two different periods.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Treatments
Six hundred, day old Ross -1-broilers were randomly divided into 30 groups of 20
each. Six groups (replications) were then randomly allocated to one of the following
five treatments:
1. Wood shavings and saw dust (Byproduct Development Services,
0.5 to 5 cm)
2. Peanut hulls
3. Sunflower hulls
4. Wheat straw (ground through a 30 mm sieve)
5. Control group (cement floor)
The different groups have been randomly allocate d to 30 broiler cages in a closed but
well ventilated building. The cages made of hard board material measured 1.2 x 1.2m,
with a floor space of 1.44m² were used to accommodate 14 birds per m² as specified
by Parkhurst & Mountney (1988). Ten kilograms moist free bedding materials were
placed in each cage. The air-dry bedding material was spread to a depth of 10 cm
according to the recommendations of Parkhurst & Mountney (1988); Ross Broiler
Management manual (1996) & Lohmann Broiler Management program (1990). The
litter (bedding material) was turned weekly. Each pen was equipped with an electric
brooder. Maximum and minimum temperatures in the building were recorded daily.
The group weight of each pen was measured weekly. The trial was conducted from
March to June and consists of two six-week periods including three replications per
treatment per period. The first period was from March to April and the second from
April to June 2002.
2.2 Diets
Three different commercial broiler diets as indicated in Table 1 were fed ad libitum as
mash. The chemical analysis and physical composition values were as supplied by the
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