Queensland Guidelines: Meat Chicken Farms - Department of ...

Multi-use litter – Only caked material is removed and litter may be re-used after each batch of
chickens. Shed is disinfected with litter in place, or litter is heaped in the shed for a period of
time for pasteurisation. Litter may be used 3–5 times.
Details on litter clean-out can be found in the Meat Chicken Technical Environmental Note 1, FSA
Environmental – http://fsaconsulting.net/pdfs/Note%201-Litter%20Clean-out%20V2.pdf
Performance criteria
P1
Sheds stocking densities must be managed
to ensure:
the minimum standard of animal welfare
is complied with and/or exceeded
bird health and performance is not
reduced.
P2
Bedding should be appropriate for use in
meat chicken sheds.
P3
The moisture content of the shed litter must
be managed to minimise odour, dust and
ammonia emissions.
Litter and manure beetles need to be
controlled to avoid damage to insulation and
wood structures and to reduce the risk of
disease spread.
P4
Shed cleaning, sanitation and fumigation
practices that:
minimise the risk of disease transmission
between batches
minimise noise, dust and odour impact
from shed cleaning on sensitive land
uses.
P5
Sheds and equipment must be maintained
and repaired to minimise odour, dust and
noise emissions from the meat chicken farm.
Acceptable outcomes
A1
Sheds must be stocked at densities that
comply with the Animal Care and Protection
Regulation 2002.
A2
The material for bedding should:
be dry, light and highly absorbent
dry rapidly
remain friable
be free of contaminants such as heavy
metals and preservatives
be suitable for use as a soil conditioner
or fertiliser
be cost-effective.
A3
Litter moisture in the sheds should be
maintained between 15 and 30 per cent
moisture content (wet basis).
Extra dry bedding material or dry litter
should be added to areas of wet litter in the
shed or the wet litter should be removed
and replaced.
Evenly distribute at least 45 mm of
uncompacted bedding to sheds at the start
of a batch.
Waterers must be maintained and repaired
to minimise leakage that will result in wet
patches in the shed litter
Control measures (such as pesticide
application, composting spent litter, total
shed clean-out or a combination of these)
should be implemented to control manure
beetles.
A4
Avoid cleaning sheds when litter is
excessively dry or wet to minimise dust and
odour impacts.
Queensland Guidelines Meat Chicken Farms 28