Studies with Clinoptilolite in Poultry: I. Effect of Feeding Varying Levels of Clinoptilolite (Zeolite) to Dwarf Single Comb White Leghorn Pullets and Ammonia Production

Abstract

An experiment involving 240 10-month-old dwarf Single Comb White Leghorn layers was carried out to study the effect of feeding clinoptilolite on layer performance and to exploit the ion exchange ability of clinoptilolite for ammonium ion. The layers were housed in individual cages in a naturally-ventilated cage house and fed rations containing 0, 2.5, 5, and 10% clinoptilolite for six 28-day periods. No significant differences in mortality, egg weight, body weight gains, shell quality, or interior egg quality were noticed between the treatments. Significant treatment effects were found in percent egg production, daily feed consumed per layer, feed conversion, and fecal moisture level. Layers fed the 10% clinoptilolite ration produced more daily wet manure per layer than layers fed no clinoptilolite. There were also more tota l dried feces and nonvolatile solids from layers fed rations containing 10% clinoptilolite than layers fed rations without clinoptilolite. However, volatile solids in the dried feces from 10% clinoptilolite-fed layers were less than in dried feces from feeding no clinoptilolite. Fecal pH unit changes after 7 days storage of fecal samples were slightly more in feces from the 10% clinoptilolite-fed layers than in feces from layers fed no clinoptilolite. No consistent lowering trend of fecal ammonia evolution rate was noticed between the fecal samples from layers fed 0 and 10% clinoptilolite. A fishy odor from fecal samples from the 10% clinoptilolite-fed layers was detected.