Organs weight and performance characteristics of broiler chickens exposed to crude petroleum flame and fumes.

摘要

Performance of broiler chickens exposed to crude petroleum flame and fumes at varying distances over a period of 16 hrs daily were evaluated for 56 days in a poultry house. The crude petroleum burning was simulated in a metal burner, 22.86 cm high with a diameter of 17.8 cm and a thickness of 1.17 cm designed for the purpose. The experimental design was a 2.factor factorial in a completely randomized design (CRD) with factor A as distances from the crude petroleum flame and factor B as the age of the birds in weeks. One hundred and eighty (180) Anak day old broiler chicks were divided into 4 groups of 45 birds each, replicated thrice at 15 birds per replicate. The control birds were located in another poultry house outside the flame area. The measured distances were 4 m, 8 m and 12 m from the flame point. The birds were fed ad-libitum on a proprietary starter mash for 5 weeks, and a broiler finisher mash for 3 weeks. Water was also provided ad-libitum. Routine inoculations and other medications were administered when due The micro meteorological experimental environment (ambient temperature, relative humidity and light intensity) of the poultry house were recorded. Gaseous emissions from the burning crude oil (air quality) were monitored. Poultry feed and crude oil were also analyzed. Result indicated that weekly body weights, weekly body weight gains, daily gains, weekly feed consumption, weekly feed conversion ratio, organ weights and (feed/gain) weekly mortality were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the treatment. Age of birds (weeks) had highly significant (P<0.05) influence on al the performance traits measured. Normal growth pattern was observed in al treatments including the control over the 8 weeks period. Low mortality was general y observed in al treatments.