Broiler litter disposal: a summary of advances

Abstract

The global poultry industry is undergoing many changes, one being the disposal of its broiler litter (BL) due to reduction in land available for cost effective disposal. To date, Australian BL disposal has been achieved by selling the litter as a fertiliser to agricultural sectors. Land availability has decreased due to encroaching urban development, legislative change, decreasing social acceptance, environmental quality issues, and increasing pathogen concerns. Alternative disposal options have developed significantly overseas and have shown potential to solve many of the issues facing BL disposal in Australia. Commercialisation of cornposting, vermiculture, anaerobic digestion and direct combustion for large scale BL disposal is still in its infancy for Australian conditions but has already been achieved overseas.