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On-station Evaluation of the Raising of Broilers in Chicken Coops Over a Fish Pond and in a Deep Litter System in Phichit Province, Thailand
Thesis Abstract:
The study was conducted to (1) evaluate the performance of broilers raised in coops over a fish pond and those in a deep litter system in terms of growth, feed efficiency and mortality, inputs and outputs; and (2) evaluate the performance of fish raised in ponds under the chicken coop with chicken manure and those without. Two hundred broilers were randomly divided into two groups: group 1 for chicken coop over fish pond system, and group 2 for chicken coop in deep litter system. The broilers were fed a standard commercial diet.
The average daily weight gain of broilers from 0 to 6 weeks ranged from 15.70 to 52.80 g/broiler/day in group 1, and from 14.40 to 64.70 g/broiler/day, in the second group. However, these figures were not significantly different (p > .05).
The average feed conversion ratio for 1 kilogram weight gain of broiler meat ranged from 1.30 to 1.97 for group 1, and from 1.43 to 2.05 for group 2. These figures were, likewise, not significantly different (p > .05).
The average mortality rates (%) of broilers during the weeks 2, 4, and 6 were 1.76, 1.64, 0.83 percent for group 1, and 1.18, 1.03, and 1.19 percent for group 2. The total mortality rate of broilers during the research period was 11.29 in group 1 and 6.94 in group 2.
Two thousand fish were randomly divided into 2 groups: group 1 for fish in pond with chicken coop, and group 2 for fish in pond without chicken coop (control pond).
The average body weights of fish at 2, 4, and 6 months were 72.84, 188.78 and 337.54 g, respectively, for group 1 and 53.35, 139.83, 264.13 g, respectively, for group 2.
The average length gains of fish at 2, 4 and 6 months for group 1 were 12.50, 19.76, 26.80 cm, respectively, and 10.25, 16.25, 22.75 cm, respectively, in group 2.
The total inputs of the chicken coop over fish pond system gave more net benefit (%) than the chicken coop in deep litter system. There was 52.83 net cash gain in chicken coop over fish pond and 5.70 percent net benefit in deep litter system.
The chicken coop over fish pond gave more income per unit of Thai Baht invested. The integrated chicken-fish rearing system is recommended for adoption by farmers.