Table 1 Chemical composition and pH value of pellet bedding

1

C

82.92^ab

42.71^a

2.49ⁱ

0.07^j

0.38^p

75.96^a

46.74^a

6.44^bcd

CH10

80.53^abc

40.99^ab

4.17^c

0.06^j

0.73 ^mn

72.15^b

44.06^bc

6.60^ab

CH25

81.98^abc

40.00^bc

6.32^b

0.06^j

0.91 ^lm

71.27^b

44.36^b

6.58^ab

CH50

81.96^abc

36.54^de

9.10^a

0.06^j

1.10^jk

63.22^fgh

42.75 ^cd

6.60^ab

7

C

77.04^abcd

42.29^ab

2.60ⁱ

0.09^j

0.44^op

67.93 ^cd

41.01^efg

6.24^ef

CH10

77.27^abc

41.81^ab

4.17^c

0.09^j

0.61^no

69.10^c

42.43^de

6.70^a

CH25

78.83^abc

40.53^ab

4.03 ^cd

0.10^ij

0.80 ^m

65.30^ef

42.46^de

6.60^ab

CH50

77.42^abc

36.32^de

4.02 ^cd

0.09^j

1.10^jk

66.90^de

41.34^defg

6.59^ab

14

C

77.20^abc

36.45^de

1.35 ^m

0.20^gh

0.68 ^mn

61.64 ^h

40.98^efg

6.24^ef

CH10

81.53^abc

37.70 ^cd

1.38 ^m

0.18^gh

0.72 ^mn

62.04^gh

40.71 ^fg

6.35^cdef

CH25

83.82^a

35.81^de

1.69 ^l

0.18^gh

0.93^kl

64.04 ^fg

40.83 ^fg

6.45^bcd

CH50

82.97^ab

34.59^e

1.98^kl

0.16^hi

1.06^jkl

67.31^cde

38.47^hi

6.35^cdef

21

C

74.19^cdef

30.27^f

1.81 ^l

0.30^e

1.07^jkl

62.86^gh

36.38^jk

6.30^def

CH10

75.24^bcde

30.17^f

2.18^jk

0.29^ef

1.18^ij

57.26^ij

34.84 ^k

6.40^cde

CH25

78.55^abc

31.99^f

2.00^kl

0.23 ^fg

1.19^ij

58.67ⁱ

35.34 ^k

6.36^cde

CH50

79.35^abc

31.31^f

2.17^jk

0.21^gh

1.35^hi

57.19^ij

37.75^hij

6.49^bcd

28

C

60.32 ^h

25.99^gh

2.73^hi

0.43^d

1.65^efg

54.45 ^k

36.97^ij

6.39^cde

CH10

67.32^fgh

26.33 ^g

2.47^ij

0.35^e

1.50^gh

55.36^jk

37.17^ij

6.19^f

CH25

67.57^efgh

30.40^f

2.62ⁱ

0.34^e

1.54 ^fg

56.76^ij

37.25^ij

6.33^def

CH50

69.25^defg

29.93^f

2.68ⁱ

0.33^e

1.70^def

57.75ⁱ

38.97 ^h

6.46^bcd

35

C

64.63^gh

23.23^ij

3.33 ^fg

0.56^b

2.00^bc

61.35 ^h

41.25^defg

6.54^ab

CH10

62.50^gh

24.75^ghi

3.40^f

0.49 ^cd

1.85 ^cd

62.77^gh

41.40^def

6.51^bc

CH25

68.64^efg

24.25^ghi

3.02^gh

0.44^d

1.73^de

63.03^gh

40.66 ^fg

6.52^b

CH50

62.31^gh

23.75^hij

3.23 ^g

0.47^d

1.84 ^cd

62.16^gh

41.31^defg

6.47^bcd

42

C

40.60^j

19.53 ^k

3.80^de

0.64^a

2.07^ab

62.94^gh

41.13^efg

6.38^cde

CH10

40.27^j

19.72 ^k

3.58^ef

0.63^a

2.08^ab

64.15 ^fg

41.85^def

6.48^bcd

CH25

50.40ⁱ

21.79^jk

3.37 ^fg

0.55^bc

1.95^bc

62.46^gh

40.29^gh

6.43^bcd

CH50

44.09^ij

20.67 ^k

3.55^ef

0.59^ab

2.20^a

62.68^gh

41.09^efg

6.47^bcd

SEM⁴

0.81

0.45

0.09

0.01

0.03

0.31

0.17

0.01

P-value interaction: B × D

0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

Adj. R², ⁵

0.863

0.962

0.986

0.956

0.961

0.938

0.894

0.580

C

68.13

31.49

2.59^c

0.33

1.19^b

63.87

40.64

6.36^b

CH10

69.24

31.64

3.05^bc

0.30

1.24^b

63.26

40.35

6.46^a

CH25

72.83

32.11

3.29^ab

0.27

1.29^ab

63.08

40.17

6.47^a

CH50

71.05

30.44

3.82^a

0.27

1.48^a

62.46

40.24

6.49^a

P-value bedding material (B)

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

0.020

 < 0.001

1

81.84^a

40.06^a

5.52^a

0.06^f

0.78^e

70.65^a

44.48^a

6.55^a

7

77.64^b

40.24^a

3.71^b

0.09^f

0.74^e

67.31^b

41.81^b

6.53^a

14

81.38^a

36.14^b

1.60^d

0.18^e

0.85^e

63.76^c

40.25^c

6.35^d

21

76.84^b

30.93^c

2.04^d

0.26^d

1.20^d

58.99^d

36.07^e

6.39 ^cd

28

66.12^c

28.16^d

2.63 ^cd

0.36^c

1.60^c

56.08^e

37.59^d

6.34^d

35

64.52^c

23.99^e

3.25^bc

0.49^b

1.85^b

62.33^c

41.15^b

6.51^ab

42

43.84^d

20.43^f

3.57^b

0.60^a

2.08^a

63.06^c

41.09^bc

6.44^bc

P-value days of rearing (D)

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001

 < 0.001