BROILER
LITTER IN RUMINANT DIETS -IMPLICATIONS FOR USE AS A LOW-COST BYPRODUCT FEEDSTUFF FOR GOATS
A. L. Goetsch1 and G. E. Aiken2
1E (Kika) de la Garza Institute for Goat Research, Langston
University,Langston, Oklahoma, 73050, USA
2Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, ARS, USDA,
Booneville, Arkansas, 72927, USA
Abstract
Use of byproducts in ruminant diets can decrease
production costs and increase total production. Chemical and physical characteristics
of byproduct feedstuffs and animal nutrient requirements determine most appropriate
means of use. Broiler litter is high in ruminally degraded crude protein and
moderate to low in available energy concentration; therefore, most efficient
use is as a crude protein supplement with low-protein forages such as cereal
grain residues. However, because of low cost, broiler litter is frequently
included in diets at moderate to high levels. In this regard, dietary substitution
of broiler litter moderate to high in digestibility for forage does not decrease
digestible energy or organic matter intake since greater total intake compensates
for relatively low digestibility of broiler litter. Optimal levels of forage
in broiler litter-based diets for high digestible organic matter intake by growing
steers may be slightly greater than required for proper rumen function. Primary
factors restricting efficiency of use of broiler litter at high dietary levels
and with animals having high nutrient requirements involve low available energy
and ruminally undegraded protein levels. Pertaining to the latter limitation,
ruminally undegraded protein concentration in feedstuffs high in ruminally degraded
protein, such as soybean meal, can be increased by mixing with broiler litter
before the heat treatment process of deep-stacking. Another potential novel
use of unique conditions in the broiler litter deep-stack is in decreasing condensed
tannin concentration in added substrates. In conclusion, besides an associated
lessening of feedstuff expenses and increasing potential production with set
resources, broiler litter inclusion in ruminant diets can improve sustainability
of livestock and poultry production through bioresource recycling.
1. Introduction
There are many agricultural
and industrial byproducts that can be used in livestock production systems throughout
the world. Considerable research has been conducted to determine most appropriate
uses of byproduct feedstuffs. Such work will likely continue and possibly expand
in the future because of the wide array of byproducts available and differences
among regions of the world in other available feedstuffs also fed to ruminants
and preferred livestock products.
Knowledge of a number
of factors is needed to determine suitable and optimal means of employing byproducts
as dietary ingredients for ruminants. Among the most important is chemical
composition, as affecting conditions in the rumen for fermenting microbes and
nutrient absorption by the animal. Ultimately, activities of ruminal microbes,
ruminal outflow of feedstuff components not altered by microbial actions, extent
of absorption in the digestive tract, and nutrient use by the portal-drained
viscera and liver determine energy and nutrients becoming available to peripheral
tissues and being used for their maintenance and accretion. Also for consideration
are physical properties, which along with chemical composition can affect palatability.
Physical characteristics impact ease of practical field usage and possibly nutrients
available to the periphery through effects on visceral tissue metabolism. Lastly,
the occurrence and nature of prior exposure to and experience with byproducts
may be relatively more important to acceptability for ingestion compared with
conventional feedstuffs.
Aforementioned factors
determining preferred uses of byproduct feedstuffs obviously must be considered
in regards to costs, including the monetary expense for procurement and other
inputs associated with actual field use such as labor, equipment, and facilities.
The basis for evaluating costs of byproduct feedstuffs relates to the particular
production scenario of employment. Major production setting conditions to be
considered include other feedstuffs available now and in the future, biological
type, production stage, and previous nutritional history of the animal, and
desired responses in live gain or loss as well as reproductive performance.
These factors dictate the most constraining nutritional condition at the particular
time of interest, and it is in this context that specific byproduct feedstuffs
should first be characterized. For example, with ruminants consuming cereal
grain residue the supply of nitrogenous compounds for ruminal microbes, most
importantly ammonia, is usually most limiting to absorption by the animal of
both amino acids and energy-yielding substrates. Thus, byproduct value should
be assessed as cost per unit of ruminally degraded nitrogen or crude protein
(CP). But, if conditions such as basal diet composition or animal characteristics
change, likewise the basis for assessing byproduct value or cost shifts. For
example, with growing animals possessing greater energy requirements than when
mature, digestibility of byproduct feedstuffs increases in relevance, as influencing
both ruminal microbial protein and volatile fatty acid production. Hence, in
this case cost assessment should probably be based on both ruminally degraded
CP and an index of ruminally fermentable organic matter, such as total digestible
nutrients (TDN). Such estimates can be most appropriately derived from
some of the relatively new nutrient requirement models. However, in reality,
for many production scenarios an accurate determination of costs or value of
available byproducts would not require complex models but can rather be simply
acquired through reasonable knowledge of byproduct composition and animal nutrient
requirements.
It is not the intent of
this paper nor would it be possible with time and space constraints to adequately
address all of the above considerations for the multitude of byproduct feeding
scenarios dealt with around the world. Hence, some research findings, primarily
from the US, concerning feeding considerations for one specific agricultural
byproduct will be highlighted, with the intent that a portion of this information
can be applied to other byproduct feedstuffs in various regions of the world.
Furthermore, although outlined research with this byproduct, broiler litter,
is with cattle, based on experimentation currently underway, such as a preliminary
report in this proceedings (Animut et al., 2000), it appears that broiler litter
has similar utility with goats.
2. Broiler Litter
2.1 Introduction
Poultry litter such as that from broiler production
units or houses is abundant in many parts of the world, and in the US is often
produced on relatively small farms. Therefore, disposal of the byproduct as
fertilizer is frequently problematic. Broiler litter can be used as a ruminant
feedstuff, with realized value under many conditions greater than with land
application as fertilizer (Stephenson et al., 1990).
Broiler litter is composed
of poultry excreta, bedding, feathers, spilled feed, etc. Contributions of
these components vary considerably with poultry production practices, among
and within regions of the world. In the US there has been a shift in broiler
litter components in recent years. For example, in southwest Missouri and northwest
Arkansas, some contract growers now use little or no absorbent bedding materials,
but instead only remove packed or caked litter after each growing period. Conversely,
in other areas of the US and(or) with different poultry companies, contract
growers may totally clean houses and harvest litter after 1, 2, or 3 growing
periods, with subsequent replacement of bedding materials and yield of litter
relatively high in fiber.
Because of properties to
be overviewed below, broiler litter is used most efficiently as a CP supplement.
Properties of broiler litter possibly restricting use of dietary levels greater
than required as a CP supplement include rapid and extensive microbial degradation
of nitrogenous compounds to ammonia in the rumen and low to moderate digestible
or available energy concentration. Nonetheless, because in part of relatively
low cost, broiler litter is commonly used as a major dietary component.
2.2 Characteristics
2.2.1 Moisture
The moisture concentration in broiler litter ranges
between 15 and 30% (Ruffin and McCaskey, 1990). The amount of moisture in litter
is primarily influenced by water management systems in broiler houses, which
have been improved in the last 10 years, resulting in litter considerably drier
than previously. Type of bedding material may also influence moisture content,
as water-holding capacity of common bedding materials varies. Although moisture
in litter is not an important nutritional measure, a level greater than 25%
suggests difficulty in handling (e.g., feed mixing), and litter with less than
12% moisture is often dusty and unpalatable (Ruffin and McCaskey, 1990). Furthermore,
the moisture concentration in litter influences temperatures achieved in the
most common method of processing, known as deep-stacking
2.2.2 Crude
Protein
Broiler litter is high in CP, typically ranging between
15 and 35% (dry matter basis). Nonprotein nitrogen usually accounts for slightly
more than half of total CP, and amino acid nitrogen makes a somewhat lesser
contribution. Uric acid represents roughly half of nonprotein nitrogen, with
the remaining arising from compounds such as ammonia, urea, and creatinine.
The level of ammonia in litter is much less than used in common ammoniation
processes, being typically less than 1% of dry matter and making up approximately
10 to 25% of nonprotein nitrogen.
Most potentially digestible
nitrogenous compounds in broiler litter are very soluble and rapidly degraded
to ammonia in the rumen. The quantity of indigestible nitrogen in broiler litter
is extremely variable, affected largely by the extent of heating in the deep-stacking
process. The concentration of acid detergent fiber nitrogen has in some cases
been over 50% of total nitrogen, although with proper deep-stacking levels are
less than 20%. Likewise, as the concentration of acid detergent fiber nitrogen
increases, indicative of heat damage, energy availability as well as that of
nitrogen decline. Even though heating occurs in deep-stacks, there have been
no reports of alterations of the nature of ruminal degradation of available
nitrogenous compounds in broiler litter (Park et al., 1995a; Wang et al., 1996).
2.2.3 Fiber
Concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF)
in broiler litter are quite variable, affected by the number of growing periods
before harvest and type of bedding material, as well as by extent of heat damage.
Levels of NDF are usually between 30 and 60%. Acid detergent lignin concentration
is also variable (e.g., 5 to 15%) and generally affected by the same factors
influencing NDF concentration. Fiber in broiler litter, other than that from
bedding materials, appears of relatively high ruminal digestibility (Park et
al., 1995b).
2.2.4 Available
Energy
Although availability of energy in broiler litter
varies greatly, Ruffin and McCaskey (1990) reported an average TDN concentration
in broiler litter used for feeding cattle in Alabama of 50%. As noted earlier,
temperature during deep-stacking influences availability of energy. Another
important factor is level of ash, with very high concentrations indicating excessive
soil contamination and thus low dry matter and energy digestibilities. A wide
range in ash concentration (10 to 54%; average 25%) of broiler litter was reported
by Stephenson et al. (1990). Ruffin and McCaskey (1990) suggested that ash
levels greater than 28% reflect insufficient energy availability for efficient
feeding of ruminants.
2.2.5 Minerals
As suggested by relatively high levels of ash in broiler
litter, the byproduct can be an excellent source of minerals such as calcium,
phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur, lessening need for other supplemental
minerals. Excessive macromineral levels in broiler litter generally have not
caused production problems. Although, Pugh et al. (1994) reported that lactating
beef cows consuming broiler litter ad libitum suffered from a milk hypocalcemia,
and Ruffin and McCaskey (1990) suggested removing brood cows from broiler litter
diets at least 20 days before calving. Stephenson et al. (1990) presented an
average copper concentration in broiler litter from 106 samples of 473 mg/kg.
However, copper toxicities in cattle have not occurred as long as animals are
not continually fed high levels of litter year-long.
2.2.6 Particle
Size
Much of the fiber in broiler litter can be from bedding
materials such as rice hulls and soft- and hardwood shavings, although appreciable
and variable proportions also arise from other sources including undigested
feed. Visually, bedding materials appear of largest size; hence, various particle
size fractions could differ in chemical composition. For example, Phillips
et al. (1993) noted that nitrogen concentration in broiler litter particles
less than 1 mm in size averaged 6.3 percentage units and 29% greater than in
particles greater than 3.2 mm. Crutchfield et al. (1996) observed considerable
variation among broiler litter sources in mean particle size of dry matter,
and that differences among litter sources in mean particle size of CP and NDF
did not coincide well with those for dry matter. Marked differences in concentrations
of chemical constituents occurred between very small (i.e., less than 0.55 mm)
and larger particles; although concentrations of CP and NDF changed quadratically
as particle size increased, perhaps because aggregates or clumps of small particles,
as well as bedding materials, contributed to large particle size fractions.
Rossi et al. (1998) investigated
possible feeding value differences among particle size fractions of broiler
litter. Two sources of broiler litter were consumed by steers without separation
or after separation (1-mm screen aperture) into small (27 and 33% CP and 35%
NDF in the two sources) and large (22 and 18% CP and 39 and 51% NDF) particle
size fractions. Source of broiler litter affected digestibilities more than
did particle size fraction. Separating deep-stacked broiler litter into the
two fractions did not alter feed intake or digestibilities compared with whole,
unseparated litter. Nonetheless, if use of a small particle size fraction of
broiler litter for a purpose in which a greater concentration of nitrogen and
lower level of NDF are desirable and greater value realization from the byproduct
results, the accompanying large particle size fraction could be used as a ruminant
feedstuff without sacrifice of feeding value.
2.3 Broiler
Production Units
Typically, broiler growing periods in the US are 6
weeks in length, with all birds in one-half of the house in the first 2 weeks
(brood) and then distributed throughout the whole house in the final 4 weeks.
Hence, differences in feeding value of litter from brood and non-brood areas
might be expected. Goetsch et al. (1998) noted that litter harvested before
the fourth 6-week broiler growing period yielded a lower organic matter concentration
for brood than for non-brood litter. Organic matter concentration in non-brood
litter stabilized after two growing periods, whereas that in brood litter increased
linearly with increasing number of growing periods. There appeared greater
potential to increase nitrogen concentration by delaying harvest of non-brood
than brood litter; hence, for obtaining non-brood litter comparable to brood
litter in nitrogen concentration, harvest after the fourth growing period was
warranted. There was little or no effect of time of brood litter harvest on
NDF concentration; however, for a NDF level in non-brood litter similar to that
in brood litter, harvest after the third growing period was required.
2.4 Processing
and Storage
Broiler litter used as
a ruminant feedstuff in the US is typically processed through heating in a limited
composting process, known as deep-stacking. Deep-stacked broiler litter is
at least as high in feeding value as litter processing with greater oxygen exposure
from composting (Patil et al., 1995b). For proper deep-stacking, the moisture
content of broiler litter should be 20 to 25%, although levels slightly outside
this range have been used with resultant litter of acceptable feeding value.
With moisture levels less than 20% the rate of increase in temperature can be
more rapid than with higher levels, although the time of peak temperatures may
be shorter and the rate of subsequent decline in temperature more rapid. Deep-stacking
improves palatability and eliminates potential hazards from pathogenic bacteria
such as Salmonella and Clostridium (Fontenot and Webb, 1975; McCaskey
and Anthony, 1979). For proper elimination of known pathogens, internal stack
temperature should reach 55 to 60EC,
and the stacking process should be for at least 20 days before feeding (Ruffin
and McCaskey, 1990).
Excessive heat (> 60EC)
reduces availability of nitrogen and energy through allowing the complete sequence
of Maillard reactions, with irreversible binding of nitrogen and carbohydrate
fractions. The most important factor influencing temperature is air exposure,
with high oxygen availability permitting high activity of aerobic microorganisms
in the stack, although other conditions such as physical constraints to heat
dissipation are important as well. Air exposure can be easily limited to retard
heating by covering the stack with plastic (Rankins et al., 1993; Wang et al.,
1997). Stacking litter too high (> 1.8 m) promotes overheating and may necessitate
covering.
Deep-stacks should be stored
on a dry surface and preferably in a covered building. Stacks exposed to rain
develop a thick, outside crust that can protect deeper litter from moisture,
but high moisture and exposure to air in the outer layer can cause mold growth.
Molds that produce mycotoxins are generally not a problem with litter protected
from weather elements because of relatively high pH and ammonia presence.
2.5 Feedstuff Additions
2.5.1 Carbonaceous
A number of experiments have been conducted with additions
of various substrates to broiler litter before deep-stacking to assess potential
of enhancing feeding value of either broiler litter or added substrate. For
example, Park et al. (1995b) and Wang et al. (1997) mixed urea with litter and
low-quality forage substrates for ammonia concentrations comparable to those
of conventional ammoniation processes. Fiber solubilization during deep-stacking
typical of common ammoniation methods was observed with added bermudagrass and
wheat straw, but without modification of ruminal digestibility of NDF present
after stacking. Although, there appeared potential for a lower level of urea
addition than used in conventional ammoniation processes. Park et al. (1997)
added molasses at 5 and 10% of broiler litter dry matter, which appreciably
decreased NDF and increased neutral detergent soluble organic matter concentration
and in vitro NDF digestion, suggesting enhanced aerobic microbial degradation
of fiber in the stack. However, digestible organic matter intake in steers
was not affected by mixing of molasses with broiler litter before stacking (Wang
and Goetsch, 1998). Adding other carbonaceous feeds (ground corn, whole corn,
ground wheat, bermudagrass hay) to deep-stacks of litter has not appreciably
changed nutritive value of stacked litter or mixtures relative to expectations
based on simple additive effects (Park et al., 1997).
2.5.2 Ruminally
Degraded Protein
Typical conditions (i.e., moisture concentration,
pH, temperature) in broiler litter deep-stacks allow initial nonenzymatic browning
or Maillard reactions, although conditions are not conducive to high reaction
rates or the complete sequence. The long time during which broiler litter is
deep-stacked (e.g., 3 weeks) compared with lengths much less than a day in common
methods of inducing initial nonenzymatic browning reactions, such as with soybean
meal (Cleale et al., 1987a, b, c; Demjanec et al., 1995; Hussein et al., 1995),
appear to facilitate appreciable formation of early reaction products that are
not degraded by ruminal microbes but are available for intestinal digestion.
In support, Park et al. (1995a) mixed soybean meal with broiler litter before
deep-stacking, with or without the reducing sugar xylose, and concluded that
rumen undegraded protein concentration can be increased by adding a source of
protein containing amino acids susceptible to nonenzymatic browning reactions
to broiler litter before deep-stacking. Wang et al. (1996b) conducted a similar
experiment with comparable findings; observed effects did, however, vary with
length of deep-stacking but occurred without excessive loss of added nitrogen
or with the necessity of simultaneous addition to the deep-stack of reducing
sugars.
2.5.3 Condensed
Tannins
Addition of a variety of condensed tannin sources
to broiler litter before deep-stacking decreased assayable condensed tannin
concentration, presumably via exposure to ammonia or moisture alkaline conditions
(Patil et al., 1993; Wang et al., 1996a). Under conditions of these experiments,
nutritional values of added substrates and broiler litter have not been depressed
by deep-stacking, suggesting possible utility of such practices to upgrade feeding
value of plant materials high in condensed tannins.
2.6 Broiler
Litter Feeding
2.6.1 Residue
Concerns
Medicinal drug residues have been found in broiler
litter in variable amounts. However, residue concerns have not occurred with
withdrawal of broiler litter from diets before marketing for slaughter (e.g.,
15 days; Ruffin and McCaskey, 1990). Besides addition of copper sulfate to
broiler diets causing high concentrations of copper in litter, arsenicals are
often added to broiler diets as growth promotants. However, residues in tissues
of cattle after broiler litter consumption have been similar or only slightly
greater in concentration than in tissues of control cattle (El-Sabban et al.,
1970; Webb and Fontenot, 1975; Westing et al., 1985). Also, arsenic in broiler
litter is mostly in the organic form, which is less toxic than the inorganic,
and levels of arsenic in broiler litter are below the maximum tolerable dietary
levels of 50 ppm for inorganic and 100 ppm for organic forms (NRC, 1980).
2.6.2 Dietary
Concentrate
Digestible energy concentration in broiler litter
is lower than in concentrates and high-quality forages. Therefore, to achieve
high performance of growing ruminants, concentrate feedstuffs, usually cereal
grains, are mixed with broiler litter before feeding. Extensive ruminal fermentation
of cereal grains increases the proportion of broiler litter nitrogen incorporated
into microbial protein and minimizes ammonia absorbed from the rumen and subsequent
urinary nitrogen excretion. During adaptation to broiler litter, dilution with
cereal grain aids the familiarization process, although with proper deep-stacking
palatability normally is not a problem.
Levels of cereal grains mixed and fed with broiler
litter vary primarily with nutrient requirements, with lowest levels of grains
given to mature cows in early to mid-gestation. Thus, it is expected that efficiency
of nitrogen utilization would be lower for mature than for growing animals with
greater ruminally fermentable organic matter. As fed litter to grain ratios
offered free-choice range from 90:10 for cows to 50:50 for growing steers with
potential for rapid growth. Some producers even have been successful in litter
feeding without mixed grain, but with well adapted and accustomed animals.
Even though different cereal grains vary in rate of ruminal digestion, there
have been no reports of effects of grain type on efficiency of broiler litter
usage (Patil et al., 1995a), probably because of the rapid and extensive conversion
of broiler litter nitrogen to ammonia. Hence, palatability, ease of mixing,
separation, and extent of ruminal digestion are major factors influencing suitability
of available high-energy concentrate feedstuffs for feeding with broiler litter.
2.6.3 Dietary
Forage
Stephenson et al. (1990) suggested that fiber in broiler
litter can partially substitute for hay and other sources of dietary fiber.
However, Ruffin and McCaskey (1990) reported that fiber in litter is inadequate
to maintain motility of the reticulorumen because bedding materials usually
are of finely ground, short particles. In fact, bloat can occur with all-litter
diets (Barton, 1990). In some instances, digesta passage rate for basal dietary
components with broiler litter consumption has been slow relative to diets without
broiler litter (Patil et al., 1993, 1995a), and particulate passage rate for
broiler litter has been lower than that of dietary forage (Patil et al., 1995a,
1995b). Such findings imply that physical characteristics of broiler litter
could cause slow passage of digesta from the reticulorumen because of little
stimulation of saliva flow and ruminal motility per unit of litter mass and,
thus, limit feed intake (Patil et al., 1993). In this regard, Rossi et al.
(1996) fed growing steers diets composed primarily of broiler litter with different
quantities of long-stemmed grass hay (0.3, 0.6, and 0.9% of body weight) in
order to vary ruminal motility and saliva production. Converse to previous
findings, passage rate of broiler litter was not affected by level of hay intake,
and passage rate of broiler litter from the reticulorumen was, in fact, greater
than that of hay. Therefore, effects of physical characteristics of broiler
litter on digestible nutrient intake and animal performance remain unclear.
Based on anecdotal evidence,
it has been assumed that roughage or forage in high-broiler litter diets should
compose at least 5 to 10% of total dry matter intake to avoid bloat. Although,
higher levels may enhance energy absorption and animal performance; Rossi et
al. (1996) observed greater digestible organic matter intake with long-stemmed
grass hay consumed by growing steers at approximately 0.6% (approximately 15%
of total dry matter intake) or 0.9% of body weight compared with 0.3%. Another
common general guideline has been that light cattle (e.g., 180 to 205 kg) do
not perform well while consuming diets high in broiler litter. However, this
appears simply a function of available energy concentration rather than being
specific to broiler litter, since digestible organic matter intake by growing
cattle at live weights of 135 and 180 kg consuming broiler litter-based diets
was comparable to values with a moderate-quality grass hay diet (Rossi et al.,
1996).
With diets very high in
broiler litter consumed by animals with relatively low or moderate nutrient
requirements, benefits of levels of forage above that required for normal rumen
function and of grain greater than to achieve adequate acceptability of the
litter-concentrate mix have not been extensively studied. Rossi et al. (1997)
addressed this issue by feeding litter-based diets to gestating, spring-calving
beef cows in a 63-day experiment in late-fall and early-winter. It appeared
that with broiler litter at 60 to 70% of the diet, as long as a minimum level
of dietary roughage is maintained for proper rumen function, different proportions
of the remaining portion of the diet composed of roughage and cereal grain may
have little or no impact on performance.
2.6.4
Dietary Broiler Litter Level
As noted previously, efficiency of use of broiler
litter as a ruminant feedstuff is greatest when included at a low level only
to provide needed ruminally degraded CP with low-protein forages such as cereal
grain residues. Increasing level of broiler litter decreases efficiency of
nitrogen usage, although animal performance may increase if available energy
concentration is greater for litter than for the basal forage, as would be the
case for forages such as wheat straw. Results of Rossi et al. (1996) highlighted
above indicate that for growing/finishing ruminants with high nutrient requirements,
achievable rates of growth with diets moderate to high in broiler litter are
set by digestible energy intake. For such animals, more rapid growth can only
be realized by use of greater levels of high-quality forage or concentrate feedstuffs.
In this regard, low-quality forage chemically treated such as with ammonia could
be used in broiler litter-containing diets, but only with elevated loss of ingested
nitrogen in urine.
In various experiments in which moderate- to
high-quality litter was consumed by growing cattle at up to approximately 70%
of total intake in diets also with moderate-quality grass hay and cereal grain,
dry matter and organic matter intakes were greater than for control diets based
on moderate-quality grass hay. Because of lower organic matter digestibility
of broiler litter than the grass hay sources used, the end-result was comparable
digestible energy intake (Patil et al., 1993, 1995a, b; Rossi et al., 1996,
1998).
The maximal dietary level
of broiler litter that can be used without impairing available energy intake
and performance depends on litter quality. A high ash concentration indicates
relatively low available energy concentration in dry matter. The number of
growing periods before harvest also is important, as influencing the ratio of
low-quality bedding to broiler excreta. Likewise, management practices such
as application of bedding between growing periods affect the quantity of bedding
in litter at harvest.
In accordance with effects
of the number of broiler growing periods before harvest on litter chemical composition,
energy intake can be impacted when in the diet at a moderate or high level.
Wang and Goetsch (1998) noted that when at a high dietary proportion (e.g.,
> 40%), litter harvested after one broiler growing period elicited lower
digestible organic matter intake by growing steers than litter obtained after
at least three periods, whereas the number of broiler growing periods did not
influence digestible energy intake with a lower dietary litter content (e.g.,
20 to 40%) and moderate grain level.
Very high dietary inclusion
levels of broiler litter have not been extensively studied compared with low
and moderate proportions. But in a recent experiment (Rossi et al., 1997),
broiler litter consumed free-choice in a mixture (as fed or as is basis) with
10% sorghum grain and with a relatively low quantity of grass hay (e.g., 0.2%
body weight) yielded lower body weight gain of beef cows than with either a
higher quantity of grass hay (e.g., 0.6% body weight) or a higher percentage
of sorghum grain in the mixture (e.g., 30%). However, the broiler litter used
was harvested after only two broiler growing periods and, thus, was low to moderate
in quality, with concentrations of ash, CP, and NDF of 30, 21, and 46%, respectively;
similar results might not occur with higher quality litter. Also, even though
body weight gain during the 9-week late-gestation feeding period was less for
the high feeding level of broiler litter compared with lower levels, perhaps
because of adequate digestible nutrient intake in the last 43 days of gestation
and the first 62 days of lactation, no marked deleterious effects on calf birth
weight or early lactation body weight gain or in subsequent cow body weight
occurred.
2.6.5 Use With
Grazing Ruminants
Although broiler litter has probably been most commonly
used either as a nitrogen supplement of ruminants consuming low-CP forage or
as a major dietary component when little or no growing herbage is available,
because of its low cost relative to other available supplemental feedstuffs,
uses in moderate amounts in grazing scenarios are being investigated. For example,
Aiken et al. ( 1998) reported economical increases in live weight gain with
feeding beef steers grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue a 50:50 (dry matter
basis) broiler litter-ground corn mixture. Live weight gain was substantially
greater for steers receiving the mixed supplement (0.67 kg/day) than for controls
(0.37 kg/day). This improvement in performance was attributed to a lessening
of intake of ergot-alkaloids in fescue rather than to an improvement in diet
quality, such as assessed by in vitro digestion and concentrations of CP and
NDF. Although, due to potential effects of ergot alkaloids on unsupplemented
fescue intake (Goetsch et al., 1989), an increase in digestible energy intake
might have contributed to the response as well. In another experiment, Aiken
and Piper (1999) evaluated performance of steers grazing tall fescue at four
stocking rates (3, 4, 5, and 6 animals per hectare) and fed daily a 50:50 mixture
of broiler litter and ground corn at 1% of body weight. Live weight gain increased
rather than decreased as stocking rate increased, which was attributed to both
a lower concentration of ergot-alkaloids in the reduced mass of fescue available
and consumption of the litter-corn mixture that prevented a decrease in total
intake with increasing stocking rate.
3. Implications
Byproduct feedstuffs are
very important in ruminant production systems throughout the world, and will
continue to be so in the forseeable future. Broiler litter, a byproduct of
poultry production, is high in crude protein rapidly degraded in the rumen and
variable but generally low to moderate in available energy concentration. Hence,
broiler litter is most efficiently used as a crude protein supplement, but because
of relatively low cost litter is frequently used at dietary levels greater than
to simply provide additional crude protein. Future research is needed to adequately
characterize composition of high-broiler litter diets to enhance efficiency
of utilization, investigate potential uses of the unique conditions existing
during the lengthy heat treatment processing method, and evaluate efficacy of
broiler litter when employed as a low-cost byproduct feedstuff for goats. Besides
an associated lessening of feedstuff expenses, broiler litter inclusion in ruminant
diets can elevate production with set resources and improve sustainability of
livestock and poultry production through bioresource recycling.
Literature Cited
Aiken, G. E., D. M. Ball, E. L. Piper, and C. P. West. 1998. Performance of
steers fed a broiler litter-corn mixture on endophyte-infested and noninfested
tall fescue. Prof. Anim. Sci. 14:51-55.
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Citation:
Goetsch, A.L. and G.E. Aiken. 2000.
Broiler litter in ruminant diets – Implications for use as a low-cost byproduct
feedstuff for goats. In: R.C. Merkel, G. Abebe and A.L. Goetsch (eds.). The
Opportunities and Challenges of Enhancing Goat Production in East Africa. Proceedings
of a conference held at Debub University, Awassa, Ethiopia from November 10
to 12, 2000. E (Kika) de la Garza Institute for Goat Research, Langston University,
Langston, OK pp. 58-69.
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