News Release Distributed 09/04/12
Poultry growers in Louisiana can learn proper techniques for in-house pasteurization of broiler litter by watching a 6-minute video on the LSU AgCenter website or YouTube.
The video explains how to extend the life of built-up broiler litter and use composting technology to pasteurize the litter to kill pathogens, said LSU AgCenter poultry specialist Theresia Lavergne.
For poultry growers, reusing broiler litter is a common practice and a cost-saver, and the video explains the process step by step.
The litter in broiler houses builds up during the time the chickens are growing, which is about six to eight weeks per flock. Once the birds are harvested and the facility is empty, poultry producers can go in and windrow the litter and let it heat up for a minimum of 10 to 14 days, Lavergne said.
After the litter has gone through this process, then it is spread again for reuse in the broiler house.
“One reason this is important for broiler growers is their bedding sources, such as wood shavings and rice hulls, can be expensive or in short supply” Lavergne said.
Some growers remove the litter from houses and use it as fertilizer or sell to others to use as fertilizer, Lavergne said.
Lavergne said the broiler-producing parishes in Louisiana are Natchitoches, Sabine, Vernon, Winn, Jackson, Bienville, Claiborne, Lincoln, Union, Ouachita and Webster.
LSU AgCenter environmental educator Bill Carney, who conducts composting studies at the W.A. Callegari Environmental Center in Baton Rouge, helped in the development of the video, Lavergne said.
To view the video, go to www.LSUAgCenter.com and then to Livestock and then Poultry, or type the title, In-House Pasteurization of Broiler Litter, into the search on YouTube.
Johnny Morgan