The Use of Zeolite to Improve Housed Beef Cattle Performance by Reducing Ammonia Accumulation in Small Farm Conditions

摘要

The use of zeolite to reduce ammonia accumulation in housed beef cattle was investigated. Total forty one (41) local breed beef animals and Brown-Swiss crosses were kept under small-scale farm conditions. Animals were divided into two groups on the basis of weight as treatment with zeolite (ZE+) and without zeolite groups (ZE-) consisting of 20 and 21; with average 200 and 180 kg initial weights respectively. All cattle were fed ad libitum with straw and alfalfa hay supplemented with cereal-based concentrates. The animals receiving ZE+ and those with ZE- gained 128 and 90 kg weight and had 1.066 and 0.744 kg/day live weight gains respectively. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in total weight gain and daily live weight gain between the treatment groups. There was also 0.322±0.121 kg difference in daily live weight gain in favor of treatment with ZE+. Zeolite can be used to reduce the ammonia accumulation in order to get rid of the discomfort created by the ammonia and to improve animal performance and welfare, resulting better quality animal production environment.