LitterHeatMap: A Decision Support Tool for Predicting Temperature in Poultry Litter Heaped for Pasteurisation

Abstract

Litter pasteurisation through the partial composting of meat chicken (broiler) litter reduces pathogen carryover between grow-outs. Pathogen inactivation is primarily via the effects of temperature; however, our understanding of factors affecting the temperature profile of composting heaps is incomplete. Temperature profiles at differing depths within heaps subjected to a wide range of treatments on different farms were used to construct a mathematical model empirically describing the impact of ambient temperature, heap dimension, initial moisture content, covering and turning on temperatures within a composting heap. This model was incorporated into an Excel® workbook with an appropriate user-interface and customised inputs and outputs to create a decision support tool to assist with the appropriate design of litter pasteurisation practices.