Litter management in poultry

Litter material protects birds from bumble foot and foot sores as it provides a media for moisture absorption and provides insulation from cold floor. Commonly used litter material in poultry are as follows;

• paddy husk
• wood shavings
• ground nut kernels
• ground maize cobs
• sugarcane baggase
• wheat straw
• sawdust

At start 5-6 cm layer of litter is placed on the floor and as the birds age, more litter is added and its thickness reaches up to 12-15 cm when the birds reach 20 weeks of age. Litter pH is around 8 and only few molds and bacteria can grow at this pH. Fermentation produces heat which helps drying the litter material.

Testing the moisture of litter material

Dry litter is preferred as bedding. 20-25% moisture is acceptable in litter. To check the level of moisture in the litter material one can do a simple test by holding the litter material firmly in his fist and applying pressure on it to squeeze it. If on opening the material breaks in to three parts then it is ideal for using as bedding in the poultry. Too moist litter will form a solid ball that does not open up even after few seconds. If the litter material is too dry then ball will not be formed and it will fall out like powder as one opens his fist.

Precautions for maintaining good litter quality

One can maintain quality of litter by keeping some points in his mind. First of all, provide enough floor space for the birds and do not overcrowd the house with the birds. Ventilation of the house should be adequate to remove the excess moisture from the poultry farm. To avoid seepage of water, the floor should be raised high almost 0.3 meter to 0.5 meter from the ground level. The roof of the house should be protective enough to save the interior of house from rain water.

Leaky and over flowing waterers should not be used. Replace the wet and moldy litter with new and dry litter at once. Raking of litter material should be done several times. If litter becomes wet and dry litter is not available in the supply, one can use hydrated lime at 1 kg per square meter of the litter. If there are any nutritional causes behind the wet litter, take steps to remove those nutritional causes and take corrective measures.

Litter and ammonia gas

Of many gases in the poultry house, ammonia is very important. The pH of the litter contributes in the emission of ammonia gas so to overcome this problem, make the litter acidic. Reusing litter, high brooding temperature and low ventilation contribute to the emission of ammonia. Reducing litter moisture is an important way to reduce ammonia production. To keep the litter dry, keep drinkers in good condition, maintain proper ventilation and do nutritional management of fecal moisture.

Factors affecting quality of litter

Litter moisture is the key to burnt hock problem. Some of the factors that contribute to the litter moisture are drinker design, air change rate, litter material depth, stocking density and flock health. Outer scales on hock and feet are degenerated if the litter material is wet.

If fat proportion in the diet is too much or the quality of fat is poor, it leads to more fat in the feces. A cap forms and pressure points on bird's legs and breast are then vulnerable to damage.

Level of nitrogen is also an important factor as higher levels of nitrogen that is above 5.5% leads to worst burning effects. If content of nitrogen is too high in litter then check for the quality and amount of the protein in the feed offered to the birds.

Drinkers should be placed at an optimum height to reduce the moistening of the litter. It can lead up to 7% reduction in moisture of litter if a nipple or cup drinking system is installed at correct height.

Three factors in poultry house should be considered together in a poultry house. These factors are environmental temperature, ventilation rate and humidity. These are interdependent. Relative humidity of the house should be kept between 50-70%. When relative humidity exceeds 70% then moisture content of litter tends to increase. Ventilation rate should be sufficient to keep the ammonia level below 25 ppm in the house.

In cold weather, increase the heat levels within the house. Roofs and walls of poultry house should be insulated to avoid condensation during cold weather.

Wood shaving is the most effective litter material for the poultry. Wheat straw is its most commonly used alternative. 5 cm of wood shaving or 5-10 cm of wheat straw is used, but recently pelleted, dried and treated products are available that can be used as less than 5 cm thickness for bedding.

Stocking density should be kept optimum to avoid litter from getting moist. For meat type birds, stocking density is 34 kg per square meter and for egg laying birds it is 7 birds per square meter.

If feed of the poultry is such that it leads to increase urination, it will cause the increased moisture of the litter. Sodium, chloride, potassium and higher levels of proteins and amino acids in the feed lead to the moist litter and higher nitrogen content. 

Some diseases affect the mobility of the birds and as a result, birds come in more contact to the litter. Enteritis and mal-absorption syndrome lead to higher water contents in the feces. In gomboro, wet and foul smelling litter is seen.

Pododermatitis, hock burns and breast blisters are the result of wet litter. In turkeys 'shaky leg syndrome' sometimes follows foot ulceration associated with poor quality litter.

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