Faecal Bio-Physical Parameters of Two Strains of Laying Chickens Fed Dietary Supplementation of Acetylsalicylic Acid

Abstract

The experiment was performed to compare the faecal bio-physical parameters of two strains of laying birds fed different levels of dietary Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), using total faecal output, faecal dry matter, faecal volume, faecal density, faecal output per bird, percentage dry matter output per bird, faecal consistency and faecal moisture content as response criteria. Four experimental diets (control diet and three different ASA diets) designated as: T1(control Diet with 0.00% ASA), T2 (Diet with 0.025% ASA), T3 (Diet with 0.050%ASA), and T4 (Diet with 0.075% ASA) were fed to Isa Brown (IB) and Harco Black (HB) layers. Data on faecal samples were collected a week to the termination of the-sixteen week trial to ascertain the effect of varying dietary levels of ASA on the faecal bio-physical parameters of the birds. The result showed that the faecal volume, faecal weight and the faecal density were significantly different (p< 0.05) between breeds, among dietary treatments and in the interaction between breeds and treatments. The HB breed had higher average fresh faecal weight, total dry matter output and average dry matter output but lower faecal matter and faecal consistency than the IB breed. Also, average fresh faecal matter output/day and average dry matter output/day decreased significantly in the ASA diets relative to the control. Birds that consumed the T4 diet had the lowest dry matter faecal output among treatments and in the interaction between breeds and treatments while faecal consistency was improved in both breeds with the supplementation of ASA in the diets. The HB breed had higher faecal volume and hence a less dense faecal matter than the IB breed but faecal density increased in the ASA diets when compared with the control. Faecal volume was decreased in the two breeds of layers while faecal density was increased with the administration of ASA in the diets. In conclusion, this experiment showed that dietary supplementation of ASA at 0.075% can reduce the faecal output, improve faecal consistency, decrease faecal moisture and reduce total dry matter output/bird and can thus play a great role at mitigating the production and emission of greenhouse gases.