INFLUENCE OF TYPE OF THE BED ON THE AIR QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, CARCASS INJURIES, SCORES OF THE HYGIENE AND LOCOMOTION IN BROILER RAISED IN THERMAL COMFORT

The surface where the birds are raised (bed) has great importance in the production process, is directly linked to welfare and animal production. This study aimed to evaluate the use of plastic floor replacement in poultry litter. The experiment consisted of four treatments in a 2x2 factorial with the factors, types of flooring (plastic bed and conventional floor) and sex (male and female). Two climatic chambers were used in a camera was used shavings and the other suspended plastic floor, these being divided into 16 boxes, with an approximate area of 1m2 each, being 8 for males and 8 for females. The animals were weighed weekly, quantified feed intake and feed conversion. Measurements of CO2 and ammonia concentration were performed at 28, 32, 35, 39 and 42 days. At the end of the cycle was evaluated scores of hygiene, locomotion, breast lesions, hock and footpad, viability, production of meat, carcass and parts. The performance data were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey's test at 5% in SAS (Statistical Analysis System). The concentrations of ammonia and CO2 were higher in the atmosphere with wood shavings in relation to the plastic floor. From the 28th day of creation, the concentration of ammonia in the air began to rise considerably in the environment in which we used the shavings due to the large accumulation of waste and the decomposition of the same within the authoring environment, while the concentration this gas in the plastic floor remained almost nil, reaching a maximum value of 2 ppm at 42 days, which is significantly lower than the concentration of ammonia reached in shavings (25ppm). The ammonia concentration in the air with the use of wood shavings was higher than that recommended by the GLOBALGAP (2007), the main program of farm assurance value of the world, where the ammonia concentration in the air of the production environment is expected to reach a maximum value of 20ppm. In plastic floor there was greater production carne.m-2 for males compared to shavings, and better performance (weight gain, feed conversion and average weight) for males reared in plastic flooring. At 42 days the males created the plastic floors obtained a numerically larger than males raised in the conventional system (shavings) having average weight of 3.180 kg and 3.100 kg, respectively, but this was not significant average weight. The plastic floor favored the cleanliness of animals, but disfavors locomotion. At the 42 days there was a best alimentar conversion for males reared on the plastic floor (1.64) than females reared on the same system (1.71), with animals kept on shavings, males (1.65) and females (1.70) with intermediate values did not differ from the other treatments. There were significant differences for meat production (p <0.05), with the highest value observed for males created the plastic floors (38,900 kg m-2), followed by males raised on wood shavings (36.020 kg m-2), observing lower meat production for females reared on the plastic floor (32.310 kg m-2) and shavings (32,810 kg m-2). Birds reared in plastic floor had a higher incidence of lesions in the footpad, whereas birds reared on wood shavings had higher incidence of lesions in the hock. The plastic floor showed satisfactory results and can be a good alternative for the replacement of poultry litter.