PSX-24 Evaluation of termite frass as broiler chicken beddings with different heat treatments on the chemical properties, viable bacterial counts, and ammonia production in vitro.

Abstract The use of insects in livestock production has gained growing attention as a sustainable resource. In our project, we produce termites that utilize unused plant biomass as a source of chicken feed. During the artificial mass production process of the termites, a large amount of termite frass is excreted. The termite frass is used for their nesting materials and has been suggested for its antibacterial properties. Therefore, this study evaluated its use as a bedding material for free-range broilers in vitro, with the hypothesis that it would improve the health of broilers and their rearing environment. The termite frass was collected from the nest of termite colonies that inhabit decayed red pine wood, originally from Amami Oshima Island, and the colonies were reared in the laboratory. Three types of bedding were compared: 200g of sawdust (S), a mixture of 100g each of sawdust and termite frass (M), and 200g of termite frass (F). Each bedding material was pretreated in one of three ways: untreated (N), heated at 70°C for 1 hour (H), or sterilized in an autoclave (A). Two batches of 75g of manure from 14-day-old broiler chickens and one batch of 42-day-old chicken manure were prepared and mixed with the pretreated bedding treatments in a 3×3×3 factorial design and cultured in plastic containers for 4 weeks. Every 7 days, the ammonia production from the entire container and the viable bacterial counts, moisture, pH, and ammonia nitrogen concentration of the litter (the mixtures of manure and bedding) were measured. The pH of the litter was higher in the F×A group than in the other 8 groups from the 21st day onwards, and the ammonia nitrogen concentrations were higher in all S treatment groups than in the other 6 groups from the 14th day onwards (P < 0.05). The general viable bacterial counts in the litter were higher in all M treatments and the F×A group than in the other five treatments on the 14th and 28th day (P < 0.05). The coliform counts were F < S < M after the 7th day (P < 0.05). Ammonia emissions tended to decrease over time, and on the 7th day, all S treatments were higher than the other five groups except the M×A group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that termite frass as a bedding material may partially improve the rearing environment for broiler chickens.