How do I treat my litter between batches?

Abstract

Chicken meat production in Australia is expanding at very rapid rate. This has led to a scarcity of bedding materials such as wood shavings and sawdust and at times rice hulls and straw. This scarcity has pushed up the price of bedding materials (Table 1) and increased the financial incentive to re-use litter for multiple batches of broilers as is practiced widely in some countries such as the USA. Reuse of litter poses problems with litter quality, carryover poultry and human disease organisms and excessive ammonia production, particularly during brooding. These problems can be overcome by appropriate litter treatment between batches of chickens. Our research has focussed on use of litter heaping between batches to improve litter quality and reduce the load of poultry pathogens, particularly viruses. We have also evaluated some treatments for the amelioration of ammonia production from reused litter. This paper will review the main options for litter treatment before reuse and the issues associated with each. Emphasis will be given to the results of our own research.