ABSTRACT Drinking hydrogen-rich water shows a remarkable antioxidant effect in preventive and therapeutic applications. However, there is no previous report and information on ammonia (NH3) production and duck litter quality when hydrogen water was supplied to ducks. This study verified the effects of supplying hydrogen water to ducks on NH3 production and duck litter quality in a duck rearing environment. A total of 1,200 0-d-old Pekin ducks were divided into 2 groups of similar body weight (3 replicates with 200 ducks per pen) and used for 42 days. The two groups consisted of general water and hydrogen water in the water supply system, as the control and treatment groups, respectively. There were no statistical differences between two groups for NH3 contents for the five weeks (p>0.05), except for week 6. For litter quality, no effects (p>0.05) between the two water groups were found in the pH, total nitrogen (TN), ammonia-N (VBN), and VFA content of litter. The only significant difference observed in duck litter quality was litter moisture contents (p<0.05). Lastly, mineral and heavy metal contents did not significantly differ between the two water groups. As the first pen trials evaluating the effects of hydrogen water on duck litter, these results verify that supplying hydrogen water to ducks did not influence ammonia and duck litter quality.

ABSTRACT This study was designed to evaluate the effects of chemical blend additives to duck litter on pH, ammonia (NH3) fluxes, total nitrogen (TN) under a small pen trial. One hundred twenty 1-day-old duck (pekin) were randomly assigned to 6 pens in a completely randomized design during 6 weeks. Control received no litter treatment whereas top-dressed treatment at rates of 50 g aluminum sulfate + 50 aluminum chloride/kg duck litter were mixed into the upper 1 cm of duck litter. Duck litter pH at 2 weeks through 5 weeks was significantly affected (p<0.05) by chemical blend treatments compared to controls, but not at 6 weeks. During the experimental periods, NH3 fluxes decreased (p<0.05) in chemical blend treatments. However, there were no remarkable difference (p>0.05) between treatments at 0 and 1 week. Reductions of NH3 fluxes at 3, 4, 5 and 6 weeks were 31, 16, 29 and 24%, respectively. Chemical blend treatments as a function of time resulted in increase in TN contents compared with control. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in TN between treatments at 2 and 3 weeks, except for 4, 5 and 6 weeks. Chemical blend decreases NH3 fluxes and increases TN positively by reducing duck litter pH.

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) on pH and volatile fatty acid levels in duck litter over the course of a three-week experimental period. Ninety one-day-old Pekin ducks (45 males and 45 females) were distributed into three treatments with three replicates each (10 ducks per replicate) using a completely randomized design. Two treatments were top-dressing duck litter with thin layers (1-2 cm) of 50 g or 100 g of AlCl3 per kg of litter, respectively; the control group received no litter treatment. Although no significant differences in propionic acid levels (p>0.05) were observed in any of the treatments, overall pH values for the 50 g and 100 g AlCl3 treatments were both lower (p<0.05) than those of the control group. Additionally, the two AlCl3 treatments revealed a corresponding influence (p<0.05) on acetic acid levels during the last two weeks of the experimental period. These results indicate that aluminum chloride amendments (at a suggested rate of 100 g per kg of duck litter) are potentially useful in lowering the pH of duck litter, thereby decreasing acetic acid production as an indicator of odor emissions.

ABSTRACT In this study, 240 one-d-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks (160 males and 80 females) were randomly allocated in a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replicates. Broilers were fed from hatching to 28 d of age four diets: a basal diet (control), 2% red ginseng marc, 1% fermented red ginseng marc with red koji, and 2% liquid red ginseng. Growth performance and fatty acid profiles in broiler were evaluated. Supplementing diets with different types of red ginseng did have significant effects (p<0.05) on initial body weight, due to differences in the birth weights of birds, including weight gain, and mortality. However, no significant differences between the treatments (p>0.05) were found for final body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion. In addition, supplementing broiler diets with different types of red ginseng did not significantly influence (p>0.05) fatty acid profiles in either breast or thigh meats. We concluded that growth performance (weight gain and mortality) was most enhanced in diets supplemented with 1% fermented red ginseng powder combined with red koji.