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Feeding cattle and sheep with chicken manure
In the 1950s, the United States pioneered the use of chicken manure as a supplementary feed for sheep, marking a significant milestone in sustainable livestock farming. Since then, research and practical applications have expanded globally, with a focus on how ruminants—such as cattle and sheep—can efficiently utilize this resource. The unique digestive system of ruminants allows them to break down and extract nutrients from chicken manure, which helps reduce the cost of meat and dairy production while promoting environmental sustainability.
An article titled "New Trends in Chicken Manure Feeding Technology," published in Issue No. 3508, provides an in-depth look at the nutritional value and processing techniques of chicken manure. This article will now focus specifically on its application in feeding cattle and sheep, exploring the best practices and benefits associated with this approach.
Feeding dry dairy cows with chicken manure can help them adapt more easily to new feed sources. It enhances feed digestibility and supports better nutrient absorption. However, it's important to avoid using laying hen droppings due to their high calcium content, which could lead to milk fever or other metabolic issues.
For high-yielding dry dairy cows, a balanced diet might include silage (15 kg), hay (6 kg), tuber feed (8 kg), a mix (4.5–5.5 kg, including 30% chicken manure), and sugar residue (10 kg), totaling approximately 43.5–44.5 kg.
During calving, cows should receive 350–500 grams of concentrate per 100 kg of body weight (25% chicken manure) along with 1.0–1.5 kg of root feed. After calving, cows often experience calcium loss, so calcium-rich feeds like laying hen manure, legume forage, leek leaves, and animal feed are recommended. From day five post-calving, 1.5–2.5 kg of a mixed concentrate (30% chicken manure) is advised.
When feeding dairy cows with chicken manure, it's essential to add high-energy ingredients such as molasses, sugar, root crops, grains, and protective fats to balance the energy levels. If chicken manure makes up more than 25% of the dry matter, soluble carbohydrates like raffinose and starch should be included to maximize the utilization of non-protein nitrogen.
Using broiler or turkey feces at 20% or higher levels typically provides sufficient calcium and phosphorus for cows. However, maintaining a proper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (2:1 to 1.5:1) is crucial to ensure nutritional balance.
In beef cattle diets, chicken manure is more beneficial than in dairy cow diets because beef cattle require less crude fiber and can largely replace forage. Up to 40% of the dry matter in the diet can consist of chicken manure without affecting performance, but it must be supplemented with high-energy feeds like grains, molasses, and protective fats to compensate for low energy content.
A higher proportion of chicken manure (up to 70%) can be used for maintenance or wintering cattle, provided that high-energy ingredients are added to maintain dietary balance.
For sheep, chicken manure is particularly useful due to their lower nutrient requirements and longer winter feeding periods. Studies show that diets containing 63% broiler manure, 35% sugar beet pulp, and 2% additives resulted in a 17.12% increase in average daily gain compared to traditional diets.
In experiments with lambs, feeding 235 g of chicken grass and 190 g of wheat flour produced similar results to feeding 365 g of wheat flour alone. Feeding rams with 50–70% chicken manure significantly reduced feed costs. Similarly, adding 68%, 58%, 48%, or 38% chicken manure with sugar beet pulp and oat flour improved fattening outcomes over pure earthworm meal.
Overall, chicken manure holds great potential for feeding sheep, especially during winter, when it can almost completely replace forage if properly balanced with molasses and minerals. During the growing phase, lamb diets can include up to 70% chicken manure, while fattening lambs can tolerate up to 50%. These results depend on the quality of the bedding and the availability of other feed components. Typically, feeding more than 35% chicken manure can meet most of the sheep’s protein needs and provide ample energy for the overall diet.