Increasing bird growth and reducing ammonia emissions in poultry keeping

FHE improves bird growth.

Multikraft FHE (Fermented Herb Extract) reduces the ammonia emissions from poultry keeping by up to 42.9 per cent and improves feed conversion.

To what extent do odours, climate gas emissions and their reduction have an impact on bird growth in poultry keeping? This was investigated as part of a project carried out in the barns of the Agricultural Research and Education Centre Raumberg-Gumpenstein. The Multikraft FHE (Fermented Herb Extract) feed additive produced positive effects.

The trial

In two fattening cycles, two identically designed rooms were filled with 1,000 birds (500 in the trial, 500 in the control). The ammonia and carbon dioxide levels and the indoor climate were permanently measured.

In comparison to the control group, the ammonia and odour emissions fell by up to 42.9 per cent when FHE was used. At the same time, improved feed conversion was recorded (1:1.585 kg in contrast to 1:1.645 kg).

Weight growth in grammes per bird and feed conversion (live weight gain: feed consumption)

Where		EAST-Control		WEST-Control
	Date	Bay 1	Bay 2	Bay 3	Bay 4
Stabling	21.05.2013	42,74	42,43	41,78	42,78
	04.06.2013	490,50	521,20	519,70	491,20
	11.06.2013	964,00	1.014,00	980,40	937,80
End of experiment	17.06.2013	1.463,00	1.501,00	1.447,50	1.421,00
	Mean daily increase	52,6	54,0	52,1	51,0
	Feed conversion 1:	1,61	1,56	1,62	1,65
Fattening period	27 Days

Ammonia emissions per kg increase, per bird (average 1.700 g growth), per fattening area and reduction level

	Control	Trial	Diff. in %
Emissions chick starter g/kg daily increase	0,265	0,160	-39,53
Emissions Fattening phase 1 g/kg daily increase	5,672	3,237	-42,93
Emissions Fattening phase 2 g/kg daily increase	1,589	1,265	-20,72
Emissions Total g/kg daily increase	2,077	1,265	-39,11

Emissions g/animal 1600-2000g	3,531	2,150	1,38kg
Emissions kg/animal space/year	0,025	0,015	0,010kg