For more: http://www.extension.org/67685 The increased cost and decreased availability of traditional poultry bedding material, such as pine shavings, has facilitated the need to identify alternative bedding materials for poultry growers. The objective of this study was to evaluate a cellulose by-product from the paper manufacturing industry on its comparability to pine shavings on broiler production performance standards and litter quality parameters. The experimental design consisted of 25 pens (3.7 m2 each) containing 55 Cobb broilers (0.07 m2/bird) per pen. Five treatments with five replicate pens per treatment were set up to evaluate varying levels of cellulose inclusion as bedding. The five cellulose treatments consisted of 0% (Control, 100% pine shavings), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% cellulose by-product. The first phase of the experiment included litter moisture, litter pH, and footpad dermatitis (FPD) scores at Day 7. At Day 7, the mean litter moisture (%) of the Control (23.9) and 25% (23.9) treatments were not significantly different from the 50% (16.9) treatment, but were significantly greater than the 75% (15.0) and 100% (14.8) treatments. At Day 7, the mean percentage (%) of birds with no footpad downgrades in the 100% (99) and 75% (95) treatments were not significantly different from the 50% (87) treatment, but were significantly greater than the 25% (76) and Control (66) treatments. An evaluation of litter moisture versus FPD scores produced a correlation coefficient of 0.73, indicating a strong cause-and-effect relationship between increasing litter moisture and incidence of FPD. Based on phase one results, the cellulose by-product is at least comparable if not superior to pine shavings as a broiler bedding material based on litter moisture and subsequent incidence of FPD during the brooding phase of broiler production.

1. Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results and Discussion
Conclusions
Cellulose-based Industrial Wastewater By-product as Broiler Bedding Material
B.H. Kiepper, C.W. Ritz, and B.D. Fairchild
Department of Poultry Science, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA
• The CB material is comparable to pine shavings on the incidence of
footpad dermatitis.
• Study results indicate that the industrial wastewater by-product tested is
a viable alternative to traditional broiler wood bedding because it achieves
the requirements for broiler bedding materials, while producing no adverse
bird performance.
• Wastewater cellulose by-product is comparable to pine shavings as a
bedding material for broiler production and would perhaps be best utilized
as a blending product to reduce the volume of pine shavings needed for
optimal bedding depth.
• Future plans will include assisting the paper milling industry in preparing
the CB material for commercial-scale field tests under standard production
environmental conditions and to assess the economic potential for reduced
bedding costs.
Acknowledgements: Project funded by Brunswick Cellulose, Inc., a
division of Georgia-Pacific, LLC.
Paper mill wastewater cellulose by-product (CB) was tested at the University of Georgia Poultry
Research Center in Athens, Georgia, in a pen trial wherein the suitability of the wastewater
material as a poultry bedding was determined by evaluating: 1) broiler performance as
indicated by body weight gain, feed efficiency, and footpad (paw) scores, and 2) material
performance as influenced by bulk density, moisture content, ammonia evolution, and
accumulation of compacted litter or “litter cake”. The experimental design consisted of 25 pens
(3.7 m2 each) containing 55 male Cobb broilers (0.07 m2/bird). Five treatments consisted of
approximately 8 cm depth of 0% (Control, 100% pine shavings), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%
cellulose by-product with five repetitions. The material was dried to a moisture content of less
than 10% prior to placement within the pens. The study was designed to replicate commercial
conditions of stocking density and water delivery as closely as possible to compare the pine
shaving control to the varying levels of cellulose inclusion.
Objective
Investigate the applicability of utilizing a cellulose-based wastewater by-product as a bedding
material for commercial broiler production housing.
A cellulose-based wastewater by-product (CB) from a large paper manufacturing facility was
evaluated as a potential broiler bedding material. Efficacy of the material was determined by: 1)
broiler performance (i.e., body weight gain, feed efficiency, and footpad (paw) scores), and 2)
bedding material performance (i.e., bulk density, moisture content, ammonia evolution, and
accumulation of compacted litter or “litter cake”). Four inclusion levels of the material were
evaluated in comparison to traditional pine shavings. No significant differences in body weight
or feed efficiency were noted between the bedding treatments. Footpad scores were
significantly lower with increased inclusion of the CB material during the beginning of the flock,
though by the end of the trial there were no differences between the treatments. The early
improved scores may be a function of both litter moisture content and coarseness of the
material as compared to the pine shaving control. The CB material did have a propensity to
cake more as the percent inclusion increased but this trend did not result in increased overall
litter moisture. No differences in ammonia generation were notable between the treatments.
Key Words: broiler, wastewater by-product, cellulose, paw scores, bedding material
Paper mill wastewater cellulose residuals are a solid waste accumulation concern for the paper
manufacturing industry and for local municipalities. Traditional bedding material supplies for the
commercial broiler industry in the southeastern United States, namely pine wood shavings, has
declined in availability with the drop in new housing starts and competition for the material from
other wood product manufacturing and landscaping industries. With the decline in availability
comes an increase in cost of the remaining material that is available for broiler growers to utilize
as bedding material. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of utilizing a
cellulose-based wastewater by-product from a large paper manufacturing plant as a bedding
material for commercial broiler production housing.
Bird Performance:
• No significant difference (P0.05) among treatments for body weight,
feed efficiency, or total mortality were noted by the end of the 6-week
study. This would indicate that the CB material did not impede bird
growth or performance.
• An evaluation of litter moisture versus footpad score produced a
correlation coefficient of 0.73, indicating a strong cause-and-effect
relationship between increasing litter moisture and decreasing footpad
quality. Early in the trial, footpad scores were significantly better within
the higher level cellulose treatments than the control, though by the end
of the trial there were no differences between the treatments.
Bedding Performance:
• Moisture (%) was significantly lower and pH was significantly greater in
the 75% and 100% CB treatments versus the Control treatment for the
first week but not by the end of the study.
• All final litters had a N-P-K fertilizer value of 3-3-3
• Caking (%) of 75% and 100% CB treatments were significantly greater
than Control treatment by the end of the study, though it was not
indicative of any change within the final litter moisture content within
each treatment.
• No significant difference among treatments for ammonia concentration
(ppm), final moisture (%) or pH were noted.
The initial raw material is high in moisture at over 50%, and will need to be
preconditioned to a level below 20% before placement into broiler housing
before it can be considered suitable for use as bedding.
Figure 4. Bedding performance parameters as influenced by percent inclusion of the
cellulose based wastewater by-product (CB) material within the treatments.
Figure 3. Description of footpad scoring system employed within the study.
Figure 2. Footpad scores based on percent inclusion of the cellulose
based wastewater by-product (CB) material.
The visual ranking system used to score footpad lesions indicated a score of 0 for no
lesion present, a score of 1 for a mild lesion (lesion ≤ 7.5mm) and a score of 2 for a
severe lesion (lesion > 7.5 mm). Bilgili, et al. JAPR 15:433-441
0 1 2
Photo courtesy of C.W. Ritz
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Day 7 Day 21 Day 42
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Bulk Density (kg/m3) Caking (%) Ammonia (ppm)
Day 0 Day 42 Day 21 Day 42 Day 21 Day 42
P-value <0.0001 0.2464 0.0116 0.0011 0.4690 0.6341
Control 66c 359 30b 55b 7.6 66.2
CB 25% 74b 370 35ab 55b 12.8 63.6
CB 50% 89b 375 45ab 75a 9.8 75.4
CB 75% 99a 372 60a 70ab 10.2 42.4
CB 100% 104a 396 60a 75a 15.0 66.2
Figure 1. 100% cellulose based wastewater by-product (CB) appearance.