Poultry litter
From Poultry Hub
Poultry litter is the mix of bedding material, manure and feathers resulting from intensive poultry production. This includes litter from meat chickens (broilers), egg laying chickens (layers) kept under barn conditions, turkeys, ducks and quail. Broiler litter makes up the vast majority of litter produced in Australia, with an estimated 738,000 metric tonnes, or 1.66 million cubic metres of broiler produced each year (See Table 1), which equates to 1.72 kg of litter per broiler every seven weeks.
Contents |
Litter materials
Regional availability of dry organic materials dictates which litter material poultry growers will use. The most commonly used materials on the floor of sheds are sawdust, wood shavings, rice hulls, straw and paper products (Table 1). The litter material is spread approximately 5 cm deep and can serve several flocks, although single flock clean-outs are still very common for Australian broiler sheds.
| Type | Shavings | Sawdust | Rice hulls | Straw | Paper | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | 486,065 | 236,370 | 188,325 | 43,420 | 2,970 | 957,150 |
| Used | 774,560 | 470,070 | 329,860 | 80,030 | 5,550 | 1,660,470 |
Source: Runge et al. 2007
Choice of litter materials
Hard fibre litter materials (wood shavings) have been demonstrated to improve gizzard development and improve feed conversion efficiency, without having an effect on feed intake or weight gain. The hard fibre is thought to stimulate gut development, improve nutrient digestibility and alter the composition of the gut microflora of chickens ingesting it. While the choice of litter materials is affected by factors such as availability and cost, hard fibre materials have the twin advantages of assisting gut development and, seemingly, reducing the risk of Marek's disease.
For more information, see:
- Poultry CRC Project 03-27: Dustbath materials for health and welfare in layers
- Poultry CRC Project 06-18: Role of voluntary litter consumption by broiler chickens on gut function and gut health
- EChook News: Applying Poultry CRC outcomes in your business (Includes information on hard fibre litter material and methods to reduce Marek's disease.)
Composition
Litter is broadly comprised of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and fats, with carbohydrates responsible for the majority of biodegradable materials in the form of cellulose, starch and sugars. After it has been removed from the shed, litter forms free-flowing granular material, including varied proportions of large, caked pieces (See Figures 1, 2 and 3). The chemical and physical composition of litter is highly variable due to differing bird species, diets, bedding retention times and other farm management practices (Table 2).
- See Litter chemistry
 Figure 1. Caked |
 Figure 2. Free-flowing |
 Figure 3. Approximately half a shed's worth (15,000 birds) of litter |
| Characteristic | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 8.1 | 6.0 – 8.8 |
| Electrical conductivity^ (dS/m) | 6.8 | 2.0 – 9.8 |
| Dry matter (%) | 75 | 40 – 90 |
| Nitrogen N (% of dry matter) | 2.6 | 1.4 – 8.4 |
| Phosphorus P (% of dry matter) | 1.8 | 1.2 – 2.8 |
| Potassium K (% of dry matter) | 1.0 | 0.9 – 2.0 |
| Sulphur S (% of dry matter) | 0.6 | 0.45 – 0.75 |
| Calcium Ca (% of dry matter) | 2.5 | 1.7 – 3.7 |
| Magnesium Mg (% of dry matter) | 0.5 | 0.35 – 0.8 |
| Sodium Na (% of dry matter) | 0.3 | 0.25 – 0.45 |
| Carbon C (% of dry matter) | 36 | 28 – 40 |
| Weight per m3 (kg) | 550 | 500 – 650 |
*Electrical conductivity is a measure of salinity, measured as a 1:5 suspension in water.
Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (2004)
Like any animal manure, litter is also a potential source of pathogens and must be handled and used appropriately. There are no viral or protozoal agents present in Australian poultry that can be considered a serious or major risk to human health. This means that viral or protozoal agents are not a major human health risk in poultry litter re-use scenarios.
Current and future litter re-use
Application of litter directly onto land provides a convenient mechanism for disposal and is the most commonly used waste management option. Litter acts both as fertiliser and soil conditioner unlike inorganic fertilisers that do not supply soil organic matter (SOM) to soils. It is estimated that in excess of 90% of litter is spread on land that is often close to the grower and, if used responsibly, has few environmental impacts. Currently most Australian growers receive small profits from the sale of litter, or at least trade the litter for sheds to be cleaned and the litter taken away. For some poultry producing regions in Australia, land application of litter is becoming less cost effective, predominantly due to restrictions on land availability and the cost of transporting litter.
Litter has significant energy value, which is comparable with wood and half that of coal. As a result, power plants overseas have been developed using litter as the primary fuel for heat generation and subsequent electricity production. A host of other value adding technologies are also being developed to capture the energy and nutrients contained in litter while improving waste management for the poultry industry.
Further information
- Blackall, P. J. (2005). Public health risks from use of waste products. Publication no. 2/04. Armidale, NSW: Australian Poultry CRC.
- Kelleher, B. P., Leahy, J. J., Henihan, A. M., O’Dwyer, T. F., Sutton, D. & Leahy, M. J. (2002). Advances in poultry litter disposal technology – a review. Bioresource Technology 83, 27–36.
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (2004). Best practice guidelines for using poultry litter on pastures
- Patterson, P. H., Lorenz, E. S. & Weaver, W. D. (1998). Litter production and nutrients from commercial broiler chickens. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 7, 247–252.
- Runge, G.A., Blackall, P.J. and Casey, K.D. 2007, Chicken litter issues associated with sourcing and use, 07/035, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Barton ACT.
See also
- Waste management
- Litter chemistry
- Poultry CRC Project 03-27: Dustbath materials for health and welfare in layers
- Poultry CRC Project 06-18: Role of voluntary litter consumption by broiler chickens on gut function and gut health
- EChook News: Applying Poultry CRC outcomes in your business (Includes information on hard fibre litter material and methods to reduce Marek's disease.)
