Abstract

The condition of litter is a single major factor in deciding the emission of various harmful gases particularly ammonia, which is a major environmental concern, affecting the overall welfare of birds. Therefore, a study was conducted with the objectives to assess the effect of two chemicals namely aluminum sulfate and calcium carbonate on litter ammonia emission, performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chicken. A total of 240 day old Cobb broiler chicks were randomly distributed into four treatment groups, each having 4 replicates of 13 chicks each. In the control group no chemical was added to litter; however, in other groups litter was treated with Aluminum Sulfate (AS) @ 25g/kg; Calcium Carbonate (CC) @ 50g/kg; and combination of 25g Aluminum Sulfate and 50g Calcium Carbonate/kg (ASCC). The results revealed a significant (P0.05) difference among themselves. AS was found to be highly effective in reducing the ammonia emission levels, either by itself or in combination, with values of 9.46 ± 0.35 (AS) and 10.499 ± 0.39 (ASCC) compared to 47.7 ± 2.40 and 51.15 ± 1.85 ppm in CC and control. A significant (P0.05) differences were found with respect to various carcass characteristics among treatment groups as compared to control. In conclusion, compared to CC, AS was found to be highly effective in reducing the litter ammonia emission and improving the performance of birds.