Use of an elevated platform with perforated surface and manure belt by fast-growing broilers on commercial farms

The use of partially slatted floor designs as an alternative to littered systems in broiler chickens. I. The effects on the performance, slaughter and carcass traits

In this study, the effects of fully littered, slatted and their varying combinations on growth, performance, carcass and meat quality characteristics in broiler chickens were investigated. In the experiment, five treatment groups were formed as fully littered (FL), fully slatted (FS), 1/3 littered + 2/3 slatted (2/3 SF), 1/2 littered + 1/2 slatted (1/2SF), 2/3 littered + 1/3 slatted (1/3 SF). Each treatment group included 5 replicates (24 chicks in each) and a total of 600 male-female mixed fast growing broiler chicks (Ross-308) were used during 6 weeks. Weekly body weight (BW, g), feed intake (FI, g), feed conversion ratio (FCR, g.feed intake/g.weight gain), livability (%) and EPEF (European Production Efficiency Factor) were determined as performance characteristics. Carcass yield (CY, %), and the percentages of abdominal fat (AFP, %), edible internal organs (EIOP, %), gizzard (GP, %), breast (BRP, %) and thigh (TP, %) meat were the carcass characteristics. Meat quality measured by pH and color (L*: lightness, a*: redness, b*: yellowness) of breast and thigh meat, and occurrence of white striping and hemorrhaging in breast meat. The weekly BW differences among the floor treatments were significant (P < 0.01), and 1/3SF broilers were the heaviest at slaughter age (3311.6 g). The 6-week FCR in FS broilers was significantly worse than the others (1.471), but FI, livability and EPEF were similar among treatments. AFP tended to be higher in FL birds (P = 0.066), while CY, EIOP, GP, BRP and TP did not differ between groups. Breast pH was similar between treatments, with 1/2SF showing the highest (6.34) and FL the lowest (6.24) breast pH (P < 0.01). The partially slatted systems caused lighter, redder and yellower color values in breast meat (P < 0.01) than the fully littered or slatted systems, but did not change the color of the thigh meat. White striping and hemorrhaging in breast meat were not affected by the floor treatments. This study suggests that the use of partially slatted systems in broiler chickens improves meat color without compromising performance traits (body weight, feed efficiency, EPEF), litter moisture and slaughter traits and these systems could be an alternative to fully littered systems.

Growth performance, carcass, and meat quality traits in broiler chickens reared on plastic-grid flooring, wood shavings, and zeolite-supplemented wood shavings

This study aimed to assess the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality traits of broiler chickens raised on plastic-grid floors, traditional wood shavings, and wood shavings enriched with zeolite. The experimental design included the allocation of 504-day-old chicks to three different bedding materials, namely wood shavings, plastic-grid floors, and zeolite litter, each with four replications (42 birds per replicate). The chicks were individually weighed at birth and grouped according to their average body weights. An experiment involving 504 chicks was conducted, with each replicate consisting of 42 male chicks of similar body weight. At the end of the experiment, a total of 120 chickens were slaughtered with 10 chickens selected from each replicate for processing carcass and meat quality traits. The effects of different bedding materials on mortality (P = 0.812), body weight (P = 0.565), and body weight gain (P = 0.569) were not significant. The ANOVA test was conducted to compare the main effects of performance, carcass, and meat quality characteristics. The feed intake was significantly affected in the 2nd, and 3rd weeks (P = 0.001; 0.023); in addition, the feed conversion ratio was significant in the 2nd, 4th, and overall period (P = 0.003; P = 0.026; P = 0.038) by the bedding materials. The breast yield (P = 0.001), thigh yield (P = 0.028), and wing yield (P = 0.023) were significant. The type of bedding material used in broiler production significantly influenced the pH24 (P = 0.030), L* (P = 0.037), a* (P = 0.000), and CL (P = 0.028). It was concluded that both a plastic-grid floor and zeolite supplementation to wood shaving litter did not significantly affect overall growth performance in broiler chickens. However, the plastic-grid floor showed superior effects on breast meat yield and quality characteristics, particularly reducing cooking loss, when compared to zeolite supplementation in wood shaving litter. The plastic-grid floor led to a slight increase in the feed conversion ratio. Consequently, adopting a plastic grid floor emerges as a viable alternative to traditional wood shavings in broiler farming.