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Poultry litter
Poultry litter is the mix of bedding material, manure and feathers that result from intensive poultry production. This includes litter from meat chickens (broilers), egg-laying chickens (layers) kept under barn conditions, turkeys, ducks and quails. Poultry bedding material consists of wood shavings, pine straw, peanut hulls, and other absorbent dry low-cost materials and is another possible source of pathogenic contamination for poultry. It is generally recommended that farmers keep litter as dry as possible, replace the top layer of the litter with a new one, and apply acid-based litter amendments. Keeping litter dry is a critical part of overall management on every poultry farm. Litter conditions influence bird performance, which in turn affects profits of growers and integrators. Dry litter helps control ammonia levels, provides a healthy flock environment, and reduces condemnations due to hock and footpad burns and breast blisters.
Watery and sticky droppings in layers have been a problem in the egg industry for years. Wet droppings or diarrhea in chickens are early indicators of intestinal distress and can give a producer crucial information about the general gut health of their flock. Poultry litter becomes wet when the rate of water addition exceeds the rate of removal. Poor quality ingredients, toxins, pathogens and nutrient imbalances can cause wet litter directly by altering normal digestive physiology or...
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Hi there, Does anyone have any experience with the use of sodium bentonite in layer diets as a means to dry wet litter? There seem to be conflicting answers based on the role sodium plays in drawing out moisture. Thanks, ...
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Connie Mou (University of Georgia) commented on humidity, air movement and dry litter in poultry houses, during IPPE 2020 in Atlanta, USA....
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Effective litter management is crucial for optimal animal nutrition. Proper litter management practices ensure a clean and healthy environment for animals, reducing the risk of contamination and disease. By maintaining clean and dry litter, we promote better hygiene, minimize bacterial growth, and enhance feed safety....
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Tom Tabler (The University of Tennessee) discusses how to manage poultry litter and effectively use ventilation to avoid health and welfare issues, in this interview during IPPE 2023 in Atlanta, USA....
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Background & Objectives There has been immense growth in the global poultry industry that should be maintained to match the current preference of consumers for animal protein. Such growth also calls for a better understanding of factors that could influence production such as litter. Ducks spend their entire rearing period in contact with the litter material provided. It is therefore vital to investigate the effect that the different commercially available bedding materials...
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When placing chicks it is crucial to their future performance and health to make sure the litter they are placed upon has been thoroughly warmed. Though the air in a house can be heated relatively quickly, insuring the litter throughout a brooding area is heated to between 85°F and 95°F can take from 12 and 36 hours depending on the type of heating system, level of air movement, house tightness, litter moisture level, etc. Since the chicks are in constant contact with the litter,...
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Mike Czarick (University of Georgia) explains how this application can help you assess how much you need to ventilate your poultry house, in this interview during IPPE 2023 in Atlanta, USA....
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One of the biggest complaints surrounding the poultry houses is the smell of manure. The ammonia concentration in poultry houses not only contributes to the smell but can be harmful for both the birds and the workers who frequent the barn. This article is about how ammonia gas is formed, its impact on the birds and how to control ammonia levels in poultry houses. Ammonia emission in poultry houses Ammonia emission is one of the greatest concern in poultry houses....
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Vijay Durairaj (Huvepharma) explains the severity of this disease, and comments on diagnosis and prevention best practices, in this interview during IPPE 2023 in Atlanta, USA....
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Changing Feed Industry Imperatives Call For A Closer Look At On-Site Aflatoxin Test Methods
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1. Introduction The occurrence of ‘wet litter’ in meat chicken sheds is associated with concerns regarding animal welfare, flock health, food safety, environmental impacts and reductions in production efficiency. Mitigating wet litter will only be achieved when there is thorough understanding of the multidimensional causal factors. This will require a multidisciplinary approach to understand the hydrology in the meat chicken shed micro-environment; the biological...
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Background & Objectives Bedding materials and depth of beddings are vital elements for litter management, which could directly or indirectly alter the growth performance of poultry. In the poultry industry, duck meat is the second most widespread poultry sector in the world after chicken meat, and Pekin ducks have become the most efficient broiler duck type popular in the Asian region. This study aimed to investigate the appropriate depth of bedding material (rice husk) for...
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INTRODUCTION During the last decade, the decrease in sequencing costs coupled with innovations in computational technologies (1) has remarkably advanced our understanding of the composition and function of microbial communities residing in diverse environments (2). Accordingly, the roles of microbiota in health and diseases have been well-documented in wide range of animals, yet limited microbiota studies have been conducted so far in turkeys. One study investigated the...
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A few years back, it was discovered that in-feed coniferous resin acids support gut integrity and luminal homeostasis in the intestinal mucosa of broiler chickens by reducing inflammation-associated degradation of collagen. This very positive, direct effect on intestinal tissue manifests as improved bird performance and reduced abundance of inflammatory T-cells in gut mucosa. Such a mechanism-of-action has not been discovered for any other feed ingredient or natural feed...
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Mike Czarick (University of Georgia) explained the advantages of doing this and the costs implications of using improved circulation fans, during IPPE 2019 in Atlanta, USA....
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Brian Fairchild and Connie Mou (University of Georgia) shared their research on adequate levels of humidity and air movement to keep the litter dry, during IPPE 2019 in Atlanta, USA....
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The detrimental effects of ammonia in poultry production have been known for years. Numerous laboratory and field studies have shown how ammonia levels as low as 10 parts per million (ppm) affect birds health and performance. Ammonia levels above 25 ppm in the poultry house can damage the bird’s respiratory system and allow infectious agents to become established, leading to declining flock health and performance. While ammonia’s effects are most evident during the...
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I. INTRODUCTION Antibiotic stewardship and the judicious use of antibiotics as treatment for specific disease occurrences, rather than using sub-therapeutic doses for growth promotion, are well established concepts within the Australian poultry industry (Alfirevich, 2018). Intensive production systems however, are prone to increased stressors and large scale production does not always meet the individual needs of each bird. Optimising production performance within this...
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