Analysis of the possibilities of using sawdust for bedding in poultry farms: A case study from eastern Poland
¹Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Production Engineering, Nowoursynowska 164, PL02-787 Warsaw, Poland
²Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Production Engineering, Nowoursynowska 164, PL02-787 Warsaw, Poland
*Correspondence: marek_gaworski@sggw.edu.pl
Abstract:
The aim of the research study was to analyze the use of sawdust for poultry maintenance, from the perspective of a sawmill planning a possible expansion of its activities to include the preparation and distribution of sawdust bedding. The aim of the study became a prerequisite for proposing a test method that accounts for a diagnostic survey using a questionnaire addressed to owners of poultry farms within the potential distribution range of the sawdust producer. As a result of the study, the scale of poultry production on farms, the current mulching methods, and the actual consumption of bedding material were learned. An attempt was made to determine whether farmers are considering introducing sawdust into poultry houses, what concerns and limitations affect their decisions, and what conditions would need to be met to switch to sawdust as bedding in poultry houses. Expectations regarding the purchase and logistics service, including the preferred form of delivery, frequency of orders, and the way of handling used bedding, which affect the profitability of sawdust distribution by the sawmill to poultry farms, were examined.
Key words:
bedding, poultry, sawdust, sawmill, survey