Effects of agricultural gypsum addition to broiler litter on broilers performance

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of agricultural gypsum addition to broiler litter on broiler performance. Four levels of gypsum: G1, G2, G3 and G4 (respectively, 10, 20, 30 and 40% in relation to a control group that used 50 kg of wood scraps) were tested. The gypsum was added at different periods: T1 (when the broiler presented nine days of age) and T2 (the total amount of gypsum was divided in half and applied, respectively, at the 9 and 23 days of the broiler ages). A completely randomized design was used, with nine treatments, in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement (level of gypsum x broiler ages) + control group. Feed intake, weight gain, feed:gain ratio and mortality were evaluated in three periods: from 9 to 21, from 21 to 49, and from 9 to 49 days of the broiler ages. The agricultural gypsum did not affect the broilers performance, except in the feed intake, in the first evaluated period (from 9 to 21 days).

broiler litter; performance; broilers; agricultural gypsum