Effects of Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment of Broiler Litter and Roughages before Deep-Stacking on Nutrient Composition, Recovery and in Vitro Digestibility

Abstract

Mandebvu, P., Goetsch, A.L. and Kellogg, D.W. 1995. Effects of alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment of broiler litter and roughages before deep-stacking on nutrient composition, recovery and in vitro digestibility. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 9:145–169.

Broiler litter and various roughages were mixed in different ratios and treated with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (HP) before deep-stacking for 3 or 9 wk to determine effects on nutrient composition, recovery and in vitro digestibility with a 4x5x2x3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Litter levels were 0, 60, 80 and 100% of dry matter and roughage sources were bermuda grass hay, corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw and prairie hay. Substrates were untreated or treated with HP (2% of substrate dry matter) following sodium hydroxide addition 0, 5.0, and 64% of dry matter (pH of 11.5 to 11.6, 15 min after HP). Duplicate substrates at 25% moisture were frozen (0 wk) or placed in plastic bags covered with dacron and embedded in the center of a litter deep-stack. Concentration of ash-free neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was decreased by HP at 0 (49.3 vs 54.5%; SE 0.28), 3 (74.3, 54.1, 45.6 and 38.3% for 0% HP and 68.5, 47.4, 42.9 and 35.1% for 2% HP with 0, 60, 80 and 100% litter, respectively; SE 0.73) and 9 wk of deep-stacking (47.5 vs 52.8%; SE 0.41). Neutral detergent soluble organic matter recovery at 9 wk was greater (P < 0.05) for 2 vs 0% HP (103 vs 92%), although the effect of HP at 3 wk occurred with litter at 0 and 60% but not at 80 or 100% (77, 84, 101 and 103% for 0% HP, and 98, 112, 102 and 104% for 2% HP with 0, 60, 80 and 100% litter, respectively; SE 4.42). In vitro disappearance of NDF (48 h of incubation with ruminal fluid and buffer) at 3 wk of deep-stacking was increased by HP more with than without litter (33.7, 47.9, 55.7 and 68.1% for 0% HP, and 46.3, 65.9, 75.5 and 86.0% for 2% HP with 0, 60, 80 and 100% litter, respectively; SE 1.11). Disappearance of NDF at 9 wk was increased (P < 0.05) by HP with corn stover (71.8 vs 66.1%), wheat straw (67.0 vs 57.4%) and rice straw (77.1 vs 69.2%). In conclusion, treatment of broiler litter with HP before deep- stacking for 3 or 9 wk improved apparent nutritive value by decreasing NDF concentration and by increasing in vitro NDF digestibility to a greater degree at 3 wk than at 9 wk. Overall, mixing roughages with litter did not accentuate favourable effects of HP.

Key words:

• Broiler litter
• roughage
• digestibility
• hydrogen peroxide treatment