Comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter pH, ammonia volatilization, and broiler paw scores during the brooding period

Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the duration of effectiveness of 3 commercially available litter acidifying amendments during the brooding period when chicks were housed at either half- or whole-house stocking densities. The treatments included control pens with no litter amendm...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: M. Grimes, E. Jiral, A. LeBlanc, J. Rocha, G.S. Archer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056617125000492
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1839651264148799488
author M. Grimes
E. Jiral
A. LeBlanc
J. Rocha
G.S. Archer
author_facet M. Grimes
E. Jiral
A. LeBlanc
J. Rocha
G.S. Archer
author_sort M. Grimes
collection DOAJ
description Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the duration of effectiveness of 3 commercially available litter acidifying amendments during the brooding period when chicks were housed at either half- or whole-house stocking densities. The treatments included control pens with no litter amendment product applied, PLT® (Poultry Litter Treatment, Jones-Hamilton Co.) and Poultry Guard® (PG; C&S Chemicals) at 0.49, 0.61, and 0.73 kg/m2, and Al+Clear® A7 (A7; Chem Trade Logistics) at 0.81, 1.02, 1.22 L/m2. In Experiment 1, broiler chicks were housed at 0.08 m2/bd (whole-house density) and at 0.04 m2/bd in Experiment 2 (half-house density). Both experiments utilized used litter from a commercial broiler farm placed into 5 pens per treatment in an experimental poultry facility. In Experiment 1, broiler chicks were reared in the pens for 15 d while chicks were reared to d 10 in Experiment 2. Data collected included litter parameters of moisture and pH, ammonia flux and bird performance. In both experiments, the application of PLT and PG resulted in lower litter pH than A7. All treatments also reduced litter ammonia flux compared to control (P < 0.05) in both experiments. In both experiments, PLT maintained a lower ammonia release compared to the other treatments through the end of each experiment. No differences (P > 0.05) in litter moisture, BW or FCR were observed between treatments in either experiment. PLT and PG at the highest application rate did improve average paw quality scores at d 15 in Experiment 1. These data demonstrate that at both stocking densities the 3 litter amendment products evaluated were able to reduce litter pH and ammonia flux compared to control.
format Article
id doaj-art-563c99b73efb4497b7d7ea81e941d062
institution Matheson Library
issn 1056-6171
language English
publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Journal of Applied Poultry Research
spelling doaj-art-563c99b73efb4497b7d7ea81e941d0622025-06-26T09:52:04ZengElsevierJournal of Applied Poultry Research1056-61712025-09-01343100565Comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter pH, ammonia volatilization, and broiler paw scores during the brooding periodM. Grimes0E. Jiral1A. LeBlanc2J. Rocha3G.S. Archer4Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Corresponding author at: 101 Kleberg, College Station, TX 77843, USA.Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the duration of effectiveness of 3 commercially available litter acidifying amendments during the brooding period when chicks were housed at either half- or whole-house stocking densities. The treatments included control pens with no litter amendment product applied, PLT® (Poultry Litter Treatment, Jones-Hamilton Co.) and Poultry Guard® (PG; C&S Chemicals) at 0.49, 0.61, and 0.73 kg/m2, and Al+Clear® A7 (A7; Chem Trade Logistics) at 0.81, 1.02, 1.22 L/m2. In Experiment 1, broiler chicks were housed at 0.08 m2/bd (whole-house density) and at 0.04 m2/bd in Experiment 2 (half-house density). Both experiments utilized used litter from a commercial broiler farm placed into 5 pens per treatment in an experimental poultry facility. In Experiment 1, broiler chicks were reared in the pens for 15 d while chicks were reared to d 10 in Experiment 2. Data collected included litter parameters of moisture and pH, ammonia flux and bird performance. In both experiments, the application of PLT and PG resulted in lower litter pH than A7. All treatments also reduced litter ammonia flux compared to control (P < 0.05) in both experiments. In both experiments, PLT maintained a lower ammonia release compared to the other treatments through the end of each experiment. No differences (P > 0.05) in litter moisture, BW or FCR were observed between treatments in either experiment. PLT and PG at the highest application rate did improve average paw quality scores at d 15 in Experiment 1. These data demonstrate that at both stocking densities the 3 litter amendment products evaluated were able to reduce litter pH and ammonia flux compared to control.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056617125000492LitterAmmoniaBroodpHAmendment
spellingShingle M. Grimes
E. Jiral
A. LeBlanc
J. Rocha
G.S. Archer
Comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter pH, ammonia volatilization, and broiler paw scores during the brooding period
Journal of Applied Poultry Research
Litter
Ammonia
Brood
pH
Amendment
title Comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter pH, ammonia volatilization, and broiler paw scores during the brooding period
title_full Comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter pH, ammonia volatilization, and broiler paw scores during the brooding period
title_fullStr Comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter pH, ammonia volatilization, and broiler paw scores during the brooding period
title_full_unstemmed Comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter pH, ammonia volatilization, and broiler paw scores during the brooding period
title_short Comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter pH, ammonia volatilization, and broiler paw scores during the brooding period
title_sort comparison of application rate of three commercial litter amendment products on litter ph ammonia volatilization and broiler paw scores during the brooding period
topic Litter
Ammonia
Brood
pH
Amendment
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056617125000492
work_keys_str_mv AT mgrimes comparisonofapplicationrateofthreecommerciallitteramendmentproductsonlitterphammoniavolatilizationandbroilerpawscoresduringthebroodingperiod
AT ejiral comparisonofapplicationrateofthreecommerciallitteramendmentproductsonlitterphammoniavolatilizationandbroilerpawscoresduringthebroodingperiod
AT aleblanc comparisonofapplicationrateofthreecommerciallitteramendmentproductsonlitterphammoniavolatilizationandbroilerpawscoresduringthebroodingperiod
AT jrocha comparisonofapplicationrateofthreecommerciallitteramendmentproductsonlitterphammoniavolatilizationandbroilerpawscoresduringthebroodingperiod
AT gsarcher comparisonofapplicationrateofthreecommerciallitteramendmentproductsonlitterphammoniavolatilizationandbroilerpawscoresduringthebroodingperiod