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

Aengwanich (2007) indicating that the birds in the control (0% alum treated litter)group may behaving immune challenges, while the significantly higher Spleen, heart, liver and kidney observed in the untreated litter group compared to the alum treated litter groups can be also attributed to the disease condition of the birds as reported by Abeke et al. (2008), who reported that hypertrophy of organs may occur as a result of the body’s attempt to increase protein availability or in the process of detoxifying toxic substances taking in or secreted by pathogens in the body. c) Chemical analysis of recycled litter treated with graded levels of Alum The significant decrease in pH levels of alum treated and untreated litter showed a significant decrease in litter pH between alum treated litter groups (5%, 10% and 15% alum treated litter) compared to control (0% alum treated litter), is in agreement with the result obtained by Choi and Moore (2008), who reported pH values to be 8.04 and 7.42 in the control and AlCl 3 treated litter respectively. The reduction in pH level observed in the alum treated litter can be attributed to the reaction of alum with H 2 PO 4 in the litter resulting in the generation of acidity in the litter as reported by Penn and Zhang (2013). This reduced pH level in the litter agree with the result obtained by Moore et al . (1998) and Moore et al . (2000), who reported thatalum addition to poultry litter significantly reduces the pH of the litter. The significant increase in the total nitrogen content of the litter in the alum treated litter groups (5%, 10% and 15% alum treated litter) compared to the control (0% alum treated litter) is in agreement with the report by Penn and Zhang (2013) who reported 4.24 % nitrogen in alum treated litter compared to the control untreated litter with 3.97% nitrogen at week 6.This significantly higher nitrogen level observed in the alum treated litter may be due to conversion ability of alum (aluminium sulphate) for nitrogen from gas form to a more stable solid form in the litter i.e. through the conversion of NH 3 gas to (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 by the reaction of sulphate with NH 3 in the litter as reported by Charles (2005). The significant higher nitrogen level in the litter is also similar to the report of Moore et al . (1998) and Moore et al . (2000) who reported the average total nitrogen contents of alum treated litter to be significantly higher compared to untreated litter. This nitrogen availability, indicate that crop yields could be higher when litter treated with alum is used as manure as reported by Shreve et al . (1995) and Moore and Edwards(2005). The soluble reactive phosphorous levels reduction of the litter for alum treated at week 8 by 53.25%, 56.70% and 59.46% for5%, 10% and 15% alum treated litter respectively compared to the control is similar to that obtained by Shreve et al . (1995) who reported that alum treated litter lowered phosphorus concentrations in runoff by 87% and 63% compared with alum untreated litter for the first and second runoff events respectively. The significantly lower soluble reactive phosphorus level observed in the alum treated litter may be due to the impact of alum (aluminium sulphate) on the water solubility of phosphorus in the litter, thereby making the Phosphorus in the litter less water soluble and hence reducing phosphorus runoff on land as reported by Moore et al . (1998) and Moore et al . (2000). This is also similar to the findings of Shreve et al. (1995, 1996) and Dao et al . (2001) who reported that Al, Ca, and Fe amendments reduced soluble phosphorus in animal manures. Smith et al . (2001) reported that alum and AlCl 3 treatments produced reduced soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations in runoff by as much as 84% compared with normal manure and were not statistically different from soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations in runoff from unfertilized control plots. Choi (2004) reported that concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus were 83% lower for AlCl 3 (200 g/kg of rice hulls) treated litter. Moore et al . (1998, 1999) explained that one of the reasons alum was chosen for phosphorus control in poultry litter was because alum is stable over a very wide range of pH conditions. The reduction in the total volatile fatty acid concentration by 35.6%, 35.72% and 36.25% in the 5%, 10% and 15% alum treated litter respectively when compared to the 0% alum treated litter group is in line with the report ofChoi and Moore (2008), who reported 51% of total volatile fatty acid reduction with aluminium chloride treatment to poultry litter. Wilson (2000), Line (2002) and Choi and Moore(2008) hypothesize that it was due to the pH effect of acidifiers, which would inhibit microbial growth and activity in poultry litter. Similar findings have been observed by Varel and Miller (2004) who reported that when eugenol was added to animal manure it reduced VFA production by 70% and 50% in cattle and swine manure, respectively. They suggested that eugenol suppressed microbial activity by lowering manure pH and inhibiting the production of VFA that are considered the predominant odour compounds emitted from livestock wastes. The ammonium ion concentrations of the litters were 23.89%, 23.95%, 25.81 and 32.53% of the total nitrogen content of the litter for 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% alum treated litter respectively. This result is similar to that obtained by Choi and Moore (2008), Sims (1986, 1987) and Chadwick et al . (2000) who reported ammonium nitrogen representing 11% to 66% of the total nitrogen contents from control and all liquid AlCl 3 treatments. The significantly higher ammonium ion concentration observed in the alum treated litter groups (5%, 10% and 15% alum treated litter) is due to the higher nitrogen content of the litter resulting from reduced NH 3 emission as reported by Moore and Watkins (2012).The content of NH 4 + and mineralizable organic nitrogen fraction (plant available nitrogen) in manure and litter plays an important role in determining 1 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXI Issue VII Year 2021 23 ( D ) © 2021 Global Journals Version I Performance of Broiler Birds Managed on Recycled Litter Treated with Graded Levels of Aluminium Sulphate (Alum)