Efficiency of Microbial Concoction on the Reduction of Odor and Housefly Population in Quail Farming

The Bureau of Animal Statistics (BAS, 2015) and its 2012 special report, reported that quail comes third in the production of poultry products following ducks and broiler as the secondary and primary source, respectively. Despite being only third, quail raising in the country is promising (BPI-NSPRDC, 2010). This can be started with a much lower capital investment as compared to chicken and ducks. Quail, locally known as pugo, is a small and tailless bird found in many parts of Asia. It belongs to the Phasianides family under the order of Galliformes. As commercial birds, quails require minimal space, time, and investment. Moreover, they are quick growers, and fast multipliers (Bolla and Randall, 2012). Also, they are richer in protein, phosphorous and vitamin A. Quails, unlike other fowl, are not delicate birds. These birds do not easily contract fowl diseases common to poultry, especially chickens (Mulemora, 2013). In addition, there is a growing demand on the meat and egg of quail at present.

Quail farming is very profitable like other farming ventures, such as chicken, turkey or duck farming business. Almost all types of weather conditions are suitable for starting quail farming business. Meat and eggs of quail are very tasty and nutritious. Having meeting the demand requires an intensive production. Thus, factors emerged in increasing the production just so to supply the demand of the population.

Having a larger scale of production in any animal of either livestock or poultry maximizes the production of manure. Hence, a serious consideration especially on its environmental impact. Some of these impacts are the strong odor and production of flies due to mishandling of manure produce by the animal). Manure handling practices and environmental conditions also affect chemical and physical properties of the manure, such as chemical composition, biodegradability, microbial populations, oxygen content, moisture and pH (Xin, et al., 2011). According to Ranadheera et. al. (2017), the strong odor is often a result of uncontrolled anaerobic decomposition of manure, feathers, waste feeds and bedding materials. And these odorous smells are a complex mixture of gases. It is important to maintain optimal conditions for production but should not impair human and the animal itself through emission of harmful gases. The high stocking density in the modern poultry barns may lead to reduced air quality with high concentrations of organic and inorganic dust, pathogens and other micro-organisms as well as harmful gases such as ammonia, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and methane (Ellen, 2005; Gates et al., 2008). Ammonia (NH3) is the primary basic gas in the atmosphere. Elevated concentrations of NH3 in poultry farms reduce feed intake and impede bird growth rate, decrease egg production, damage the respiratory tract, increase susceptibility to Newcastle disease virus, increase the incidence of air sacculitis and keratoconjunctivitis and increase the prevalence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (Kristensen, Wathes, 2000). Egg quality may also be adversely affected by high levels of atmospheric ammonia as measured by reduced albumen height, elevated albumen pH and albumen condensation (Xin, et al., 2011). The ammonia concentration in the air plays an important role in the neutralization of atmospheric acids generated by fossil fuel combustion. The reaction product forms a NH4 + aerosol, which is a major component of atmospheric particulates. These NH4 + particulates may be transported long distances from the production site before returning to the surface by dry deposition or precipitation. Animal production produces a significant component of anthropogenic NH3 emissions. Ammonia is also a component of odour (Jelínek, et al., 2011). Ammonia volatilization from manure materials within poultry barns can adversely affect production, and also represents a loss of fertiliser value from the spent litter. It is generated during bacterial decomposition of protein and urea in housing areas and during storage and application of excreta under aerobic and anaerobic conditions (Kristensen et al., 2000). The main source of NH3 is urine of animals. Seventy percent of nitrogenous substances in excrement originate from urine and 30% from feces. Poultry feces contain 60−65% of uric acid, 10% of ammonia salts, 2−3% of urea and remains of creatinine. Especially uric acid is rapidly changed by the microbes to NH3 (Groot Koerkamp, 1994).

The house fly, Musca domestica L.,is the major species associated with poultry manure. This fly breeds in moist, decaying plant material, including refuse, spilled grains, spilled feed and in all kinds of manure. Poor sanitation around the poultry facility increases the probability of high housefly populations. Houseflies prefer sunny areas and are very active, crawling over filth, people and food products. This fly is an important mechanical vector of many human and poultry diseases (protozoa, bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, fungi and worms. But this can be controlled through the integration of nonchemical and chemical control methods. The use of insecticides alone rarely results in satisfactory fly control. An integrated pest management program involving population monitoring, cultural control, mechanical control, biological control and chemical control is recommended (Loftin, Hopkins and Corder, 2014). There is really a need to balance the increase of production and its impact to environment. Giving the fact that microorganism can bat to the reduction of ammonia emission thus have a positive impact to the growth performance in poultry as well as its association to the population growth of flies. Hence, this study.