Livestock Studies 2000, Vol 40, Num, 1     (Pages: 090-097)

The Importance of Using Litter in Poultry Production

Fatih ATASOY 1

1 Ankara Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Zootekni Anabilim Dalı-ANKARA - In poultry production particularly that of broiler, the types of the litter and the materials used is one of the important factors affecting the productivity. A quality litter material should be dry and clean, have high capacity of insulation and water absorption. Must not have sharp and hard. It should also be cheap and easily obtainable. The most frequently used litter material is wood shavings. Straw, shredded papers, corn-cob and diatomite are some alternatives of wood shavings. Although reusing the litter material is suggested by some researchers, in the field usually the old litter is removed and a new litter material is used for the next production. Keywords : Broiler,breeder,litter,reusing