Recycling of fungal treated broiler droppings in broiler mash

Broiler poultry droppings (PD) were solid-state fermented with Fusarium and Pleurotus fungi under controlled and room temperature conditions. Fungal fermentation, as well as reducing the crude fibre and available carbohydrates, resulted in the reduction of uric acid from 7·0% in untreated PD to around 1·0%. The various levels (5% to 25%) of untreated (UT), autoclaved (AC) and Pleurotus and Fusarium treated PD were incorporated in isocaloric and isonitrogenous, semi-purified broiler mashes. The ash content in the PD mashes was kept low by reducing by 0·5 kg mineral supplement for each 5·0 kg addition of PD in 100 kg of mash. Compared with the control, semi-purified, diet, the 6-week growth rate was retarded when the UT, Pleurotus and Fusarium treated PD levels in the mashes were raised above 15% and 20%, respectively. The reduced growth rate with the increased levels of untreated PD was primarily attributed to high uric acid and crude fibre contents. The total protein efficiency, with respect to extracted groundnut cake, was 42·8%, 51·6% and 53·0% to 55·0% for UT, AC and Pleurotus and Fusarium treated PD. However, the metabbolizable energy (ME) content did not show any appreciable difference. With the practical type broiler mashes containing 15% and 20% UT, AC and Pleurotus and Fusarium treated PD, the 8-week growth rate was similar to that of the control when the ME content in the diets was adjusted to meet the requirement of broilers. However, with the untreated and Pleurotus treated PD mashes containing low ME, the increase in feed intake was associated with a significant (P < 0·05) reduction in the weight gain. It suggested that the PD cannot replace the energy sources in the practical broiler mashes. In conclusion, the results showed that the broiler PD can be recycled in their mashes provided the uric acid below 1% and the required level of ME is maintained in the ration formulations.