Evaluation of Aluminum Chloride As an Effective Short-Term Solution for Reducing Odor - Causing Volatile Fatty Acids in Duck Litter

摘要

This study evaluated the effects of aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ) on pH and volatile fatty acid levels in duck litter over the course of a three-week experimental period. Ninety one-day-old Pekin ducks (45 males and 45 females) were distributed into three treatments with three replicates each (10 ducks per replicate) using a completely randomized design. Two treatments were top-dressing duck litter with thin layers (1-2 cm) of 50 g or 100 g of AlCl 3 per kg of litter, respectively; the control group received no litter treatment. Although no significant differences in propionic acid levels ( p> 0.05) were observed in any of the treatments, overall pH values for the 50 g and 100 g AlCl 3 treatments were both lower ( p< 0.05) than those of the control group. Additionally, the two AlCl 3 treatments revealed a corresponding influence ( p< 0.05) on acetic acid levels during the last two weeks of the experimental period. These results indicate that aluminum chloride amendments (at a suggested rate of 100 g per kg of duck litter) are potentially useful in lowering the pH of duck litter, thereby decreasing acetic acid production as an indicator of odor emissions.