Performance of Indigenous Chicken Under Intensive Rearing with Various Litter Materials

The purpose of the research was to obtain information regarding the performance of indigenous chicken under intensive rearing. The performance criteria were the increasing body abdominal weight, fat, rectal temperature, and the indigenous chicken's mortality within the 5-week starter phase treatment. Research was conducted using 108 Day Old Chick (DOC). Data variance was analysed based on the split plot design (3 types of cage litter materials, 5 weeks of data collection, and 4 replications) for weight gain and abdominal fat parameters, and completely randomized design in time for rectal temperature. The result indicated a significant effect of different litter materials towards weight gain (P <0.01), the highest body weight was found on chicken treated with rice straw litter; there was no effect of litter material on abdominal fat percentage; there was a significant effect (P < 0.01) of age towards rectal temperature; and there were no interactions between litter material with age, on body weight gain, abdominal fat, and rectal temperature. Chickens under intensive rearing in rice straw floored cages were proven to have a mortality rate reduced by 3.7% in the starter phase.doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.12777/ijse.4.2.2013.52-56 [How to cite this article: Sulistyoningsih, M., Sunarti, D., Suprijatna, E., & Isroli, I. (2013). Performance of indigenous chicken under intensive rearing with various litter materials. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, 4(2), 52-56; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.12777/ijse.4.2.2013.52-56


INTRODUCTION
Indigenous chickens are local chickens scattered throughout parts of Indonesia, usually consumed the community and have heterogeneous characteristics. Indigenous chicken are domesticated from jungle fowl that are widely spread in different regions of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. Indigenous chickens are classified as warm-blooded animals and will seek to maintain their body temperature in order to carry out normal physiological functions (Iswanto, 2008).
Rectal temperature is often used as a physiological parameter in poultry researches, as most chickens under distress or discomfort are identified by their increased body temperature. There are external and internal factors that can result in discomfort in chickens. External factors include lighting, hunger, thirst, caging, ventilation, vaccination, and sudden weather changes. Internal factors include changes in the nervous system, sensory system, and endocrine systems.
Zainudin (2005) said, that local chicken breeding pattern in villages is more extensive way 80%) than intensively or semi intensive (20%). The results showed chicken performance was better maintenanced in intensive and semi intensive.
Cages and henhouses were intended to create comfort and protection, so that the food consumed could be optimally utilized for growth and production. In villages, indigenous chickens are traditionally reared outside cages (released freely). This method exposes the chickens to many risks, and is considered not economical.
The type of cage flooring used was one of the environmental elements influencing poultry productivity. There were two main types of cage flooring; litter flooring and distantly spaced flooring. Litter flooring could be made from rice husk, wood shavings or sawdust. Widjastuti et al. (2005) observed that litter flooring had an effect on food intake on Merawang chickens. Mugiyono (2001), gave criteria for choosing a good litter material to have an absorber effect, free dirt/dust, always available, free from poison, relatively cheap, widely available in the environment, and easy to clean.
This research was intended to study the influence of a pedestal litter against performance indigenous chicken, seen from the increasing body weight, abdominal fat, rectal temperature and mortality for 5 weeks.

II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
This research was conducted for 5 weeks. 108 DOC indigenous chickens were used in this research. The cage dimension was 2.20 x 1 x 0.6 metre cubic (lxwxh). The cage was staged 50 centimeters high off the ground, with wire walls covered by plastic as insulators at the beginning of rearing. The density of each cage was 9 chicks per experimental unit. Each ca equipped with a set of lights, thermostat (°t hermometer. Cages were fumigated 2 days bef arrival of the DOCs.
The study used a split plot design with 3 cage flooring (rice husk, sawdust, and rice straw age; 6 data acquisition points (day 1, weeks 1,2,3,4, each with 4 replications. During the first ten days of newspaper were used as a base for the litter f due to the condition of chicks that were still sm weak. Insulation plastic that wraped the wire ca each side, were gradually removed, based on th temperatur suitable for the chickens as they gre Parameters observed in this study we increasing body weight, abdominal fat, mortal rectal temperature. The incresing body weigh abdominal fat data was acquired using digital sca 0.001 g sensitivity. Abdominal fat were weighe week and compared to the weight of the chick temperature data was acquired using a thermometer every week. with 0.1°C sensitivity. data was acquired by recording the number of c that died in each litter, for the 5 weeks of the study.
Data was acquired every week, totallin time data collection each for Weights again, abd fat and rectal temperature; on the first day and 1,2,3,4, and 5. The data was analyzed using v analysis, followed by Duncan test.

A. The Increasing Body Weight
This research showed a significant effect <0.01) of three litter floor type towards weight shown in Table 1. eek umn showed that : non significant feed consumption n in table 2. The ght was found in looring with feed nwhile chickens m rice husk and ugh descriptively ved in chickens was believed ring to absorb liquid, causing discomfort for the chic was equally unable to absorb liquid wel husk could easily fly when the chicken floorings, causing a potential respirator discomfort for the chickens. With rice the chickens could potentially suffer fro slow crop, which disturbed the digestion stomach, due to accidental mixing of li the form of rice husk, wood shavin inside the feed. The warm temperature in cages for DOCs. At this stage, the Cage also brooder. Rice straw mat provided bette quality of air in the cage and warmth c other two litter materials (rice h Comfort was a significant contributing fa to ensure production quality in terms of was particularly observed since the shown in Table 2. The results showed between litter base materials and age chicken's body weights Indigenous chickens are oft uneconomical for business, due to its lo slow growth, low egg production, and a mortality rate. Some researchers have sh changes in conventional rearing could productivity in indigenous chickens (Das e Indigenous chicken in traditiona weeks, her weight only 746 g, while in could reach 1435.5 g. The improvement maintenance of chicken could inc indigenous chicken. The content of the found in rice straw compared to rice hu (Setyawati, 2004), were the reasons why better. are often considered e to its low productivity, on, and a relatively high have shown that little ould potentially increase ens (Das et al. , 2008) traditionally kept for 20 g, while intensively reared rovement of management increase performans nt of the fewest parasite rice husk and sawdust asons why rice straw was

B. Abdominal Fat
Abdominal fat is a form of tissue u conserve energy in the body. The fat is graduall from blood circulation and is stored under th and the stomach (Hartini, 1986). Griffiths et al stated that abdominal fat is located around intestine, extending to the ischium, around fabricius and the abdominal cavity. Generally, abd fat accounts for 2-3% of the live weight. The perc of abdominal fat in all the three treatmen not show a significant difference. This was go both producers and consumers of indigenous The result showed that chickens reared with litter material have relatively the same abdom content, while the final body weight were signi different and was best when reared with rice stra flooring (see Figure 1, Table 2, and Figure 2). F showed the percentage of abdominal fat seem dec week 5, on a pedestal of rice straw. Abdominal f indigenous chicken at the age of 5 weeks hav able to demonstrate the difference, because gen indigenous chicken is slow-growing birds. Inc abdominal fat at chicken aged 5 weeks on a ped sawdust and rice husk was very high ( 60 % and while on rice straw was only 17,2 %. This ha because a higher metabolisme occurred at the bas straw, as seen on the increasing body weight an weight. Rearing with rice straw litter materi proven to be better, because it produced the body weight gain, while the percentage produced relatively similar to using other material. Consumers would prefer this due to th that the increased body weight was not follow an increased fat content. There was no inte between the litter base materials with age on abd fat percentage.

C. Rectal Temperature
There are internal and external factors th cause stress to chickens. External factors include programs, hunger, thirst, cage system, ven vaccination, and sudden weather changes. I factors include the nervous system, sensory syste endocrine systems. Internal sory system, and Poultry would react whe uncomfortable environment such as material and the texture of the base e giving a slow response (longterm), it quick response in the form behaviora as increased perspiration, increased resp an increase in body temperature (Isroli, 1996) Litter cages can serve as a pr the cold of floor and as moisture absor will accelerate microbial production and can cause discomfort for the chickens. L influenced by factors such as type temperature, relative humidity and combination of these factors can result in that are less favourable to the health of have negative impact on the chick ammoniac content can occur in ca flooring if not properly managed. Hi ammonia level inside a confined space to a chicken's health; it can induce i eyes of young chicks during the grow first week.
Treatment pedestal litter result to the rectal temperature. Body heat th from endogenous heat due tu the metab the body and the effect of the environm environment temperature, the tempe enclosure, humidity and wind speed temperature in the enclosure in this relatively the same in the third litter tray average temperature of environment 29.2 moistuire environment 68.13±14.9%. reported the results of his research on temperature and feed restriction on chicken. The results showed that treatm of temperature of the enclosure (28± 33±1.32°C) did not give effect on re chickens.
Monteith and Mount (1978) said ideal for the maintenance of chicken wa the humidity ideal was 55 -75% (Nowl temperature in the enclosure in the autho higher than ideal (Table 3), but humidity This caused the chicken at age of 5 w temperature (40.6-40.7°C, Suprijatna et the process of adaptation. 54 act when it became uch as changes in the e base enclosure, before rm), it would show a behavioral changes, such ased respiration, and also (Isroli, 1996). as a protection against ture absorber. Damp litter ction and ammonia, which ickens. Litter humidity is as type of litter, air ity and ventilation. A result in litter conditions health of poultry and can the chicken's feet. High r in cages with litter aged. High atmospheric ned space is detrimental induce irritation to the g the growth period in the results was not significant dy heat the chicken came the metabolic processes of environmental factors of e temperature in the nd speed. The average e in this research was litter trays (Table 3), with nment 29.29±2.89°C, dan 8.13±14.9%. Suryana (2008) earch on the influence of tion on performance of treatment with 3 levels e (28±1.78°C; 31±1.38°C; t on rectal temperature of 1978) said the temperature was 18 -24 °C, with 75% (Nowland, 1978 Rectal temperature is an indicator of stress/ discomfort in chickens; high rectal temperature indicates the presence of stress/ discomfort. This study showed little difference in rectal temperatures of chickens with different litter materials ( Table 2). Significant difference (P<0.01) was seen in chickens of different week. Increased rectal temperatur occurred in the second week, third, and fourth. Rectal temperature in the fifth week showed a decline compared to the previous week. On the first day and first week, the rectal temperature of chickens was relatively low/ normal; this was because the cage flooring was the same for all cages (using sheets of newspapers). The newspapers were then removed on the 10th day, resulting in an increased rectal temperature on week 2, 3 and 4. The chickens reacted to the change in flooring; from newspaper to litter based flooring. Changing from newspaper, which allowed them to move freely; to rice husk, sawdust and rice straws. Force the chickens to adapt to the new floorings with different textures, sizes and sensation to the feet. It understandable that these changes triggered a physiological response seen by increased rectal temperature, as stated by Isroli (1996).
Rectal temperature in the week 5 showed a decline compared to the previous. This means that in about five weeks, chickens had adapted to its new environment, including the litter flooring. However, the effect on body weight at the end of week 5 was not the same. There was no interaction between litter type and age on rectal temperature.

D. Mortality
The mortality rate of indigenous chickens reared in this study was very profitable for farmers. For comparison, the mortality rate of chickens reared traditionally/ freely released was 50.3%; a semi-intensive rearing was at 42.6%; and an intensive rearing mortality rate was at 27, 2% (Suprijatna, 2010). This research provided an improved mortality rate of only 3.7% within 5 weeks of intensive rearing, with a total population of 108 DOC. The least death rate (only 1 chick) was seen with rice straw and rice hull litter flooring. Results shown in this research was almost equivalent to the results conducted on hybrid chickens from indigenous chicken and CP 808 broilers, which had a mortality rate of 3% during 7 weeks of rearing (Suharyanto, 2008). The low mortality rate in this study showed that intensive rearing of indigenous chicken proved to be more profitable for farmers and communities around the chicken farm. General public sanitary was better because chickens were not free to roam in the villages. The chicken's health and well being was also better controlled, as the chickens did not interact with wild birds; vaccinations and the drug treatments (deworming) could be carried out regularly. The above rearing management, if done correctly, could improve the quality of production. Intensive rearing in a staged cage using litter based flooring was proven to reduce mortality.

IV. CONCLUSION
This research result indicated a pedestal litter the best was rice straw, based on the increasing body weight, body weight, the percentage of abdominal fat, the rectal temperature, and mortality for the maintenance of indigenous chicken for 5 weeks.