Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, D: Agriculture and Veterinary, Volume 21 Issue 7

Table 1: Ingredients Composition and Calculated Analysis of the experimental Diets c) Experimental Animals and their management Two hundred and forty (240) day old MarshallStrain broiler chicks of mixed sexes were used for the study. The birds were randomly allocated to four treatment groups on arrival in a completely randomised design. The birds were fed a common diet during the period of the study (56 days). The treatments were replicated three times with 20 birds per pen. They were housed under a deep litter system with 40kg poultry litter per pen. Aluminium sulphate (alum) was applied to the poultry litter by mixing it with alum thoroughly using hands covered with hand gloves. The rates of alum application was as follows: T1 control (normal poultry litter with no alum), T2 (5% alum by kg weight treatment of litter from used 5% previously treated wood shaving), T3 (10% alum by kg weight treatment of litter from used 10% previously treated wood shaving) and T4 (15% alum by kg weight treatment of litter from used 15% previously treated wood shaving). Feed and water was supplied ad libitum throughout the 56 days study period and routine vaccination schedule was administered. d) Data collection and Analyses i. Growth Parameters Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were determined weekly. Feed intake was calculated by the difference between supplied feed and feed left in each pen. Weight gain was determined as the difference between the weight of the bird in the week under consideration and the previous week. Feed conversion ratio was calculated as the ratio of feed intake and weight gain within each week for each pen. Mortality was recorded as they occurred and body weight was recorded. Mortality percentage was calculated by dividing the number of birds that died within a period by the initial number of birds placed and multiplying by 100. ii. Carcass evaluation At the termination of the experiment (day 56), two birds from each pen having representative weights for the group (6 birds per Treatment) were selected. The selected birds were bled, dressed and eviscerated. Prime cuts and organs were separated and weighed individually and were expressed as percentages of carcass and live weight respectively. iii. Chemical analysis of litter The litter samples were analyzed for pH, ammonium ion (NH 4 + ) concentration, soluble reactive phosphorus and total nitrogen at the Department of Agronomy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria while samples for total VFA were analysed at the chemical laboratory of National Animal Production Research Institute, Zaria, Kaduna State. A 20-g subsample of the litter sample was extracted with 200 ml of deionized water for 2 hours on a mechanical shaker, then centrifuged at 3,687 × g for 15 minutes (DeLaune et al ., 2004). Aliquots were taken for pH, total nitrogen, NH 4 + , © 2021 Global Journals 1 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXI Issue VII Year 2021 18 ( D ) Version I Performance of Broiler Birds Managed on Recycled Litter Treated with Graded Levels of Aluminium Sulphate (Alum) Ingredients Composition (%) Starter (0 – 4 weeks) Finisher (5 – 8 weeks) Maize 51.90 54.50 Groundnut cake 16.00 22.20 Soya bean cake 25.00 15.00 Palm oil 2.00 3.40 Lime stone 1.00 0.90 Bone meal 3.00 2.80 Common Salt 0.30 0.30 Premix* 0.25 0.30 Lysine 0.25 0.30 Methionine 0.30 0.25 Total 100.00 100.00 Calculated analysis Crude protein (%) 23.20 21.80 Metabolisable energy (kcal/kg) 2929 3037 Ether extract (%) 6.57 7.74 Crude fibre (%) 4.18 3.78 Calcium (%) 1.23 1.13 Available Phosphorus (%) 0.52 0.49 Lysine (%) 1.13 1.19 Methionine (%) 0.96 0.86 Feed cost (N/kg) 91.80 88.00 *Composition of premix supplies the following per kg of feed: Vit. A = 12000IU, Vit. E = 15000IU, Vit. D 3 = 2500IU, Vit. C = 30,000mg, Folic acid = 100mg, Nicotine acid = 5000mg, Panthotenic acid = 15000mg, Fe = 1750mg, I = 40,000mg, Zn = 50,000mg, Mn = 100mg, CU = 1500mg, Cu = 200mg, Si = 100mg, Biotin = 600mg, Metabolisable energy calculated according to formulae of Peuzenga (1985). M.E = (37 x %CP) + (81 x %EE) + (35.5 x %NFE). *