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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
The aim of this study was to determine the selection of bedding material used in broiler birds during the rearing period. Total 72 broiler chicks of IBL-80 were used on a completely randomized design in four treatments of deep litter materials i.e. wheat straw, rice husk, mustard stalk and sand. This study includes four treatments along with three replicates and each replicate consists of 18 birds. Standard feeding and management practices were followed during the experimental period. Differences in average weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and dressing percentage of wheat straw, rice husk, mustard stalk were significantly higher than sand, while, mortality was higher in sand treatment. The moisture content increased from 8.15 to 40.4% in wheat straw, 11.4 to 45.3% in rice husk, 7.80 to 38.7% in mustard stalk and 2.2 to 17.4% in sand during the study. The cost of litter for rearing one bird in deep litter system was Rs. 1.74, 1.53, 1.45 and 1.68 for sand, mustard stalk, rice straw and wheat straw respectively. It was concluded that any of these three bedding materials (wheat straw, rice husk and mustard stalk) may be used and these are cheap and locally available to the poultry entrepreneurs. Overall rice husk gives excellent results as they have the ability to absorb the moisture and remain dry which is the basic requirement of deep litter system. The manure quality of rice husk is very excellent as compare to other materials.