Effect of Flock and Floor Type on the Levels of Nutrients and Heavy Metals in Broiler Litter ,

Abstract

Broiler litter samples were collected from 18 locations over a 3 year period and analyzed for several nutrients and heavy metals. The composition of broiler litter after five flocks of broilers was as follows: moisture, 23.8%; crude protein, 37.4%; ash, 17.8%; calcium, 2.4%; phosphorus, 1.97%; potassium, 2.65%; copper, 319 mg/kg; arsenic, 35 mg/kg; selenium, .29 mg/kg; lead, 3.4 mg/kg; mercury, .31 mg/kg; cadmium, .55 mg/kg. The levels of crude protein and several minerals increased 10 to 15% for each flock from the first to the fifth flocks. The dietary and litter levels of copper were highly correlated (r = +.97). The levels of calcium, phosphorus, and copper in the litter were 2.75 to 3.25 times the dietary levels of these minerals.