Evaluation of Disinfectant Efficacy When Applied to the Floor of Poultry Grow-Out Facilities

Abstract

A common practice is to wash and disinfect poultry grow-out barns after used litter has been removed. Because the floor of poultry barns includes the presence of soil and organic matter, a study was conducted to determine if disinfectants are effective in reducing bacterial and fungal populations. Commercial broiler houses were chosen as the test sites for the field trials. After the litter was removed from the facility, the floor was swept clean in the middle of the barn and between feed and water lines. Floor plots (1 ft2) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 disinfectant treatments. The disinfectants evaluated were a phenolic compound, a quaternary ammonium compound, a nascent oxygen compound, and a compound that contains potassium peroxymonosulfate and sodium chloride as the active ingredients. Laboratory trials were also conducted to test the same 4 disinfectants. Nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium (NAL-SAL) was inoculated onto sterile topsoil in metal pans. Each disinfectant was applied as a coarse spray (field trials) or via pipette (laboratory trials), and surface samples were taken over time. Samples were cultured to determine total aerobic bacterial plate counts, yeast and mold counts, and the prevalence of Campylobacter spp., and Salmonella spp., for the field trials, whereas the laboratory trial samples were cultured for populations of NAL-SAL. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of Campylobacter for any of the treated plots compared with the control plots for the field trials. Significant microbial population reductions were observed for most of the disinfectants tested in both field and laboratory trials. Results indicate that disinfectant type, application rate, time of exposure, and organic matter can impact total aerobic bacterial, yeast and mold, and Salmonella populations on the surface of soil.