Evaluation of Biochar as a Litter Amendment for Commercial Broiler Production

Litter amendments are commonly used in commercial broiler production to improve litter quality and overall house conditions. While litter amendments used to limit the formation of gaseous ammonia have been studied extensively, there has been little evaluation of materials to limit water activity in the litter. The large surface area and high porosity of biochar (BC), or charcoal that is used for environmental or agricultural applications, are physical characteristics of the material that aid in water absorption and could lead to altered water activity in commercial broiler litter. This study examined the influence of a pre-flock application of BC on broiler performance, health, and litter quality and determined the water holding capacity (WHC) of pine shavings (PS) at varying BC inclusion rates. Surface application of BC to PS at a rate of 0.97 kg/m(2) did not influence performance, health, or litter nutrient content in male broilers reared to 35 d of age. The addition of BC to PS increased WHC and was influenced by BC particle size. The addition of BC at 10 to 20% by weight to PS increased WHC by 21.6 and 32.2%, respectively, over that of PS. The data herein indicate that BC used a litter amendment has no negative effects on performance and health and may improve litter quality through increased water absorption.