Fumigation and Reuse of Broiler Litter

Abstract

THE periodic scarcity of conventional litter materials is a matter of increasing concern to broiler producers in many parts of the country. In areas where the problem has been especially acute some poultrymen have resorted to reusing the litter for 2 or more broods.Although Kennard and Chamberlin (1947, 1948a, b, 1949a, b, 1951) have demonstrated the effectiveness of built-up litter pathologists and poultrymen are still concerned about the possibility of perpetuating disease organisms to succeeding broods. The use of a soil fumigant, methyl bromide, by Andrews et al. (1943) and Boney (1948) for control of coccidia and intermediate hosts of some internal parasites suggested to Edgar and King (1955) the possibility of sterilizing poultry litter with methyl bromide. In a controlled laboratory study and under “semi-field conditions” they reported that methyl bromide killed Aspergillus fumigatus on agar, Ascaridia galli eggs and Eimeria tenella oocysts in a small amount of water…