Effect of natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) on the performance and litter quality of broiler chickens

Authors : Ioannis NIKOLAKAKIS, Vassilios DOTAS, Anastasios KARGOPOULOS

Pages : 682-686

Doi:10.3906/sag-1302-132

View : 27 | Download : 11

Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This work was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation with natural zeolite on the performance and litter quality of broilers. In a randomized complete block experimental design, 480-day-old Cobb-500 broilers were divided into 4 treatments with 4 replicates each and 30 chicks per replicate. The dietary treatments consisted of a control wheat-corn-soybean meal diet insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(C); and 3 others contained 1.0%, 2.0%, or 3.0% zeolite for Z1, Z2, and Z3 treatments, respectively. Feed intake was significantly insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P < 0.05); higher in Z1, Z2, and Z3 treatments as compared to the control diet. Compared to the control, diets containing 2% and 3% of zeolite showed a significant insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P < 0.05); increase in body weight gain and feed conversion ratio for the total period. The dietary addition of zeolite significantly insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P < 0.05); decreased the organic content in litter samples throughout the experimental period. The results of this study showed that the dietary addition of natural zeolite at inclusion rates of 2% and 3% had a positive effect on feed conversion ratio, body weight gain, and litter quality of broilers.
Keywords : Key words Broilers, zeolite, performance, litter quality