UTILIZATION OF FERMENTED FLOCCULATED POULTRY SLUDGE AS A FEED CONSTITUENT FOR PIGS

Flocculated poultry sludge was mixed with 3% molasses and was flow-the rm pasteurized for 5 min at a core temperature of 95 C. The sludge was subsequently cooled to between 20 and 25 C and fermented with Lactoba cillus plantarum as starter culture. Three groups of eight 8- to 10-wk -old, individually housed fattening pigs (Hypor(R)) were fed according to a fixed scheme correlated with age. One control group received a r estricted ration of commercial compound feed (Group A). The other cont rol group was provided ''nearly ad libitum'' access to the same commer cial compound feed (Group C). The experimental group received the same amount of commercial compound feed as Group A, but the diet was suppl emented with fermented sludge, at an inclusion rate of 19 to 28% of th e total ration (DM basis). The pigs fed the sludge-containing diet and those receiving the compound pig feed ''nearly ad libitum'' showed co mparable growth results. It was concluded that the net energy (NE(pig) ) level of .68 g DM of sludge was comparable to the NE(pig) level of 1 g compound pig feed (88% DM). A decrease in colony counts of Enteroba cteriaceae in the intestinal tract of the pigs, was regarded as positi ve, as it might lower the risk of disturbance of the gut flora by ente ropathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella. No adve rse effects on health and performance were observed as a result of the feeding of pasteurized and subsequently fermented flocculated poultry sludge to fattening pigs. It is concluded that this sludge can serve as a valuable feed constituent as long as it is processed properly.