Bedding affects the health, quality and performance of poultry. Pine shavings long considered the standard bedding material is becoming more unavailable and alternative beddings are required. This project examines the effectiveness of an alternative bedding compared to kiln dried pine shavings with respect to bird performance, bird health, and litter performance potentially yielding increased profitability for the grower and poultry companies. In addition, the use of this bedding will provide an alternative litter source for poultry growers while utilizing material from the waste steam. OBJECTIVES: The traditional standard bedding, pine shavings, is increasingly unavailable and higher cost. A performance based replacement is needed. We continue developing that replacement. Research on the Novovita Bedding will take place in the following areas: 1. Manufacture a prescriptive formulation of aGroChips with boric acid incorporated for darkling beetle abatement. 2. Determine the feasibility manufacturing other 3D shapes that reduce bulk density while increase bedding coverage area, and increase surface area of the bedding for better absorbtion and drying. 3. Whole house testing will be undertaken to statistically verify the performance of our new formatted material. This testing is a necessity if we are to gain commercial acceptance. Side by side comparisons with commercially accepted practices would substantiate our poultry performance improvements. APPROACH: Two field trails will be conducted. There will be two paired houses per trial, one bedded with aGroChips and one with pine shavings. This will provided for four total houses. Each house will be approximately 40x500 feet and will house 8 to 10,000 broiler breeder chickens. Each site will be visited at least monthly and researchers will work with the company production manager(s) to assure quality control and to inspect bird health, mortality, egg production, egg hatchability, bedding quality, beetle populations and general air quality. Production data will be generated for each house to compare the effects of using aGroChips as a bedding material versus pine shavings for broiler breeders. Preliminary Work: 1.Arranging field trial with sponsoring company and poultry company 2.Getting the litter down before the placement of birds. During Flock: 1.Visit each month 2.Ascertain litter and bird performance during the production cycle Report generation: 1.The report will contain information comparing the treatment and control houses with respect to egg production, fertility, hatchability, feed consumption, chick quality, breeder bird mortality, foot pad and leg health, litter caking, litter endurance, beetle populations and general air quality with respect to dust and ammonia. 2.Litter samples will be collected at the end of the flock and analyzed for N and P nutrient content and for coliforms and salmonella sp.
