The effect of using different litter materials in broiler rearing on performance, carcass yield, antioxidant status, some litter parameters, and coccidiosis oocysts

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of various mixtures of different litter materials containing wood shaving and barley straw on body weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, carcass yield, antioxidant state, litter quality, and coccidio oocysts in broilers rearing. For this purpose, a total of 120, 0-day-old Ross 308 broilers were assigned to 3 groups with 4 replicates. Wood shaving, barley straw, and wood shaving + barley straw group had 10 chicks in each replicate, a total of 40 chicks in each group. When the overall period of the study was examined, it was determined that the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the barley straw group was higher than other groups in the second half of the study (p < 0.05). It was observed that while nitric oxide (NO) level was higher in the wood shaving + barley straw group, enzymatic antioxidants could be more functional in the wood shaving group (p < 0.05). As a result, it has been concluded that the use of wood shaving and barley straw separately or mixed in equal proportions as litter will have a similar effect on performance and litter quality, whereas wood shaving will positively influence on the antioxidant status.