Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the Barn
Providing clean, comfortable bedding is essential for the growth and welfare of bulls. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of bedding thickness on growth performance, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration in the barn. Thirty-six healthy Simmental bulls (7–9 months...
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/7/925 |
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| author | Kaifeng Niu Xinxin Zhang Chao Chen Liguo Yang |
| author_facet | Kaifeng Niu Xinxin Zhang Chao Chen Liguo Yang |
| author_sort | Kaifeng Niu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Providing clean, comfortable bedding is essential for the growth and welfare of bulls. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of bedding thickness on growth performance, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration in the barn. Thirty-six healthy Simmental bulls (7–9 months old) were randomly divided into three groups and raised on 0 cm (concrete floor, CF), 15 cm (shallow fermented bedding, SFB), and 30 cm (deep fermented bedding, DFB) fermented manure bedding. The results showed that the DFB group exhibited the optimal ADG (average daily gain), F/G (ratio of feed to gain), hoof health, body hygiene, and lying time, followed by the SFB group and the CF group (<i>p <</i> 0.05). As for the barn gas environment, the contents of ammonia and carbon dioxide were the lowest in the DFB group, followed by the SFB group, and they were the highest in the CF group at the same time points (<i>p <</i> 0.01). In summary, fermented manure bedding significantly improves the growth performances, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration, and the improvement effect achieved by deep fermented bedding is more obvious than by shallow fermented bedding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:10:38Z |
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| id | doaj.art-4cda30dae172448fb76bcfb74aff102c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:10:38Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-4cda30dae172448fb76bcfb74aff102c2023-11-30T22:52:19ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-04-0112792510.3390/ani12070925Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the BarnKaifeng Niu0Xinxin Zhang1Chao Chen2Liguo Yang3Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaKey Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaKey Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaKey Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, ChinaProviding clean, comfortable bedding is essential for the growth and welfare of bulls. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of bedding thickness on growth performance, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration in the barn. Thirty-six healthy Simmental bulls (7–9 months old) were randomly divided into three groups and raised on 0 cm (concrete floor, CF), 15 cm (shallow fermented bedding, SFB), and 30 cm (deep fermented bedding, DFB) fermented manure bedding. The results showed that the DFB group exhibited the optimal ADG (average daily gain), F/G (ratio of feed to gain), hoof health, body hygiene, and lying time, followed by the SFB group and the CF group (<i>p <</i> 0.05). As for the barn gas environment, the contents of ammonia and carbon dioxide were the lowest in the DFB group, followed by the SFB group, and they were the highest in the CF group at the same time points (<i>p <</i> 0.01). In summary, fermented manure bedding significantly improves the growth performances, behavior, and welfare of bulls as well as gases concentration, and the improvement effect achieved by deep fermented bedding is more obvious than by shallow fermented bedding.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/7/925fermented manureaverage daily gainbehavioranimal welfarebedding |
| spellingShingle | Kaifeng Niu Xinxin Zhang Chao Chen Liguo Yang Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the Barn Animals fermented manure average daily gain behavior animal welfare bedding |
| title | Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the Barn |
| title_full | Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the Barn |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the Barn |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the Barn |
| title_short | Effects of Fermented Manure Bedding Thickness on Bulls’ Growth, Behavior, and Welfare as Well as Barn Gases Concentration in the Barn |
| title_sort | effects of fermented manure bedding thickness on bulls growth behavior and welfare as well as barn gases concentration in the barn |
| topic | fermented manure average daily gain behavior animal welfare bedding |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/7/925 |
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