ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to investigate the performance, welfare indices, and faecal microbial load of broiler chickens reared under different litter management. A total of ninety (90) day-old Ross broiler chicks were purchased from reputable hatchery from the South Western part of Nigeria for the experiment. The birds were divided into three groups and randomly assigned to three management treatments designated T1, T2, and T3. The groups of birds were sub-divided into three replicates each. The birds were fed with commercial feed of   22% crude protein, and 3000 Kcal/g metabolizable energy at the starter phase and 19% crude protein and 3150 Kcal/g ME at the finisher phase. The three management groups were T1 (No change of litter), T2 (7 days interval litter change) and T3 (14 days interval litter change). The parameters measured included; growth performance, dust-bathing behaviour, foot pad lesion, breast pad lesion, faecal microbial load and carcass characteristics. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences in the growth performance across the treatment means. The bacteria isolates were higher (p<0.05) in T1 than in T2 and T3, while the protozoa isolates were higher (p<0.05) in T1 and T3 than in T2. The relative weight of gizzard was higher in T3 than in T1 and T2. T1 (No litter change) encouraged dust-bathing than was observed in T2 and T3. Birds on T1 did not have both foot pad and breast blister lesions compared with those on T2 and T3 that had slight lesions. In conclusion, litter management did not indicate any difference in the growth performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens. However, a no litter change throughout the 8weeks of broiler rearing seem to have favoured broiler’s welfare in terms of more frequency of dust-bathing, as well as less incidence of foot pad and breast blister lesions.