In-house windrowing of a commercial broiler farm during early spring and its effect on litter composition

The use of in-house windrowing of broiler litter between flocks has been used as a litter management procedure to reduce pathogen content and improve the quality of the house environment for newly placed chicks. A trial was conducted to determine what effects different methods of in-house windrowing would have on litter composition during the early spring months of March and April. Using 2 commercial broiler houses, 3 in-house windrowing treatments were applied to built-up litter from multiple flock grow-out cycles and compared with traditional decaked, nonwindrowed litter management. Each windrowing treatment consisted of a 6-d windrow, composed of either decaked litter, caked litter incorporated into windrows, or decaked litter covered with a nonbreathable tarp. Each commercial broiler house was divided into sixteen 6.1 x 6.1-m plots with each treatment being replicated using 4 plots per house. Litter samples from each treatment plot were collected and analyzed for percent moisture, pH, and bacteria levels on d 0, 7, and 14 of the trial. Broiler chicks were placed in each house on d 7. Ammonia volatilization was assessed from each plot on d 7 and 14. Litter moisture decreased over time for all treatments and was not significantly different between treatments. Litter pH in all treatments decreased from d 7 to 14 with no differences between d 0 and 7. Temperatures for the decaked and cake-in treatments exceeded the temperature (50 degrees C) necessary to eliminate pathogenic bacteria, but the control and covered treatments did not. Ammonia volatilization was significantly less on d 14 compared with d 7, but was not different among the treatments. Aerobic, anaerobic, and coliform litter counts decreased from d 0 to 7 with no difference between d 7 and 14 and no treatment effect. In conclusion, no differences were found between the decaked control and windrowing treatments during the spring layout period studied.