Causes of Wet Litter

Potential Health Problems of Wet Litter

Proper Litter Management to improve flock health

Conclusion

Litter conditions and related diseases

Some possible related factors causing enteric disorders and influence litter condition

OVERVIEW

Good rearing management is the starting point for healthy, productive and profitable poultry production in accordance with animal welfare. To obtain maximum production potential, management of the poultry production house environment is essential. An important measure of a suitable environment is proper maintenance of poultry litter. Litter is defined as bedding material, which acts as an absorbent that helps facilitate evaporation of moisture and gases from fecal material. It also absorbs moisture, dilutes fecal material (nitrogen), insulates floor from ground moisture and provides an environment that helps satisfy dusting instincts in birds.

Both heating and ventilation systems must be continuously monitored to ensure that the moisture content of the litter is controlled and the litter remains friable. If the moisture content becomes elevated, then the birds are being grown on a continually damp, slippery and sticky surface. In this condition, the litter is simply saturated with water and the water is unable to escape. A severe litter moisture problem can result if large areas of the house floor surface are caked. It is more common, however, to find localized areas of caking near leaky watering cups, nipples, troughs or roofs. The litter in these house locations must be continually stirred, raked or replaced to provent the problem from becoming worse.

If litter is not kept at an acceptable level, very high bacterial loads and unsanitary growing conditions may result producing odors (including ammonia) insect problems (particularly flies) soiled feathers, footpad lesions and brease bruises or blisters. Litter that is managed correctly with the moisture content kept within the acceptable range can be reused if no disease or other production problems occur. On the other hand, caked litter must be removed between flocks and replaced with new litter.

CAUSES OF WET LITTER

FNUTRITIONAL

High Mineral Intake

• High intake of the minerals like potassium, sodium, chloride, sulfate or
  magnesium, through water or feed, can lead to excessive water consumption
  and wet droppings. It is possible that a feed mixing error has occurred, resulting
  in an excess of salt in the diet.

Fibre Rich Ingredients - NSPs

• Feed ingredients such as wheat bran, wheat, mustard seed meal, sunflower
  extract, GNC, Soya meal are rich in NSP's (Non-Starch Polysaccharides).
  These NSPs have detrimental effects on nutrient digestibility and absorption.
  Besides, they increase the viscosity of gut contents, which often result in
  excessively wet droppings.
• Poor quality dietary fat or rancid fat can lead to wet fecal droppings.

Moldy Feed

• If birds are provided moldy feed ingredients, consumption of mycotoxins may
  cause the droppings to be excessively wet. Mycotoxins are known to irrirate
  the digestive tract and to cause marked pathological changes in the kidneys.
  Ochratoxin, Oosporin and Citrinin are mycotoxins known to cause these changes.
  Such changes can lead to increased water consumption and wet droppings.

FDISEASES

• Numerous diseases cause poultry to excrete wet droppings. This diarrhoea may be primary where an infectious agent directly damanges the digestive tract resulting in diarrhoea. Secondary effects may occur where birds go off feed but maintain water consumption, resulting in higher moisture content of the droppings. Coccidial infections result in direct damange to the gut and will result in wet droppings.
• Bacterial infections caused by Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni and Spirochetes will also result in wet litter. In addition, several viruses, such as reovirus and adenovirus, have been implicated as causative agents of diarrhoes. Viruses associated with malabsorption of nutrients have an adverse effect on the consistency of the birds's droppings.

FMANAGEMENTAL

Climate Control and Equipment Failure

• Those involved in the poultry industry have little control over the ambient temperature and humidity outside the poultry house. Nevertheless, temperature and humidity largely influence water consumption and impact litter quality. For example, high temperatures lead to increased water consumption and wet litter. When high humidity accompanies high temperatures, the problem can become so severe that it becomes very difficult to properly maintain the litter in a dry and friable condition.
• Leaking watering system, when not maintained in good working condition, can cause wet litter problems. The in-line water pressure must be within the manufacture's specifications. Roofs should be leak-free and ventilation systems should move an adequate amount of air to keep litter moisture levels in the proper range.

Bedding Material Type

• There are a limited number of bedding materials that can be used in poultry houses. Any material that is in contact with birds must be non-toxic, and able to absorb water and subsequently release the moisture to the atmosphere. The material must be readily available in sufficient quantities. Most importantly, it must be economical.
• Quality soft wood shavings and rice husk are the most widely used bedding material, and are the product of choice if available and competitively priced. Straw and shredded cardboard have not proved to be useful bedding materials. These materials have met with limited success because of their low moisture absorption and release qualities, which has led to litter caking. The proper choice of material is essential and will reduce problems associated with litter management.

POTENTIAL HEALTH PROBLEMS OF WET LITTER

FINCREASED AMMONIA LEVELS

• Ammonia level greater than 20 ppm have a negative effect on poultry performance.
• Ammonia damages the bird's mechanical defense mechanism (cilia, excess mucus production). This allows disease organisms to enter the lungs and air sacs, which has an adverse effect on the bird's respiratory system.
• Ammonia can also cause eye irritation and have a detrimental effect on the performance of the flock.
• Exposure to high levels of ammonia for a short term is just as detrimental as exposure to lower levels for an extended period.
• Ammonia inactivates the effect of free chlorine in drinking water.

FBROODER PNEUMONIA

• Wet droppings alongwith bad ventilation and high ambient humidity favors the growth of fungi Aspergillus fumigatus which Brooder Pneumonia, especially in younger birds.
• In the acute form in young birds, main symptoms of Brooder Pneumonia are gasping, sleepiness, loss of appetite and sometimes convulsions and death.
• Occasionally the organism invades the brain, causing paralysis or other forms of nervous symptoms.
• The more chronic form in older birds usually results in loss of appetite, gasping or coughing and a rapid loss of body weight. Mortality is usually low and only a few birds are affected at one time.

FOTHER POTENTIAL HAZARDS

• Burnt footpads and leg problem
• Breast blisters.
• Coccidiosis and fly problem
• In breeders : soiled nest litter can cause contaminated eggshells.

PROPER LITTER MANAGEMENT TO IMPROVE FLOCK HEALTH

The fundamental message here is simple - good litter management when combined with other basic poultry husbandry skills will enable you to keep your birds fit and healthy from day one until they are marketed. Litter Management is as important as ventilation, lighting, nutrition, water quality and health programmes when it comes to managing poultry.

FGOOD LITTER MANAGEMENT

Good litter should be highly absorbent, light in weight, medium particle size, and dry rapidly. Litter should be soft and comfortable for birds to walk on. Locally available material that is cost effective and compatible when sold as fertilizer would be best. Litter materials too damp, or smells musty and is excessively dusty should be rejected.

Ideal litter conditions should have uniform particle size, remain loose, not caked, with moisture content between 25-30% and low level of ammonia.

"Ideal" litter conditions can be maintained through good litter management, which includes understanding the principles of temperature and ventilation, as well as a number of other important factors that are part of the basic poultry husbandry skills necessary to raise healthy birds. Some of these additional factors include:

• Ensure that adequate ventilation and house temperature are maintained to keep litter moisture content between 25-30% by weight. The level of dust is increased when litter moisture drops to 20% and below, thereby creating an air quality problem. When moisture levels are greater than 40%, litter becomes wet and caked.
  Practical guide: When a handful of litter is squeezed into the palm of the hand and released, the compressed ball of litter slightly adheres together with small fragments of litter slowly falling away into the hand. When litter contains excessive moisture, it will ball up when squeezed in the hand. When the litter is too dry, it will fail to ball up.
• Frequently remove wet and / or caked areas of litter, especially around drinkers and feeders.
• Add fresh litter where it has caked or contains too much moisture.
• Break up surface aggregations (caking) without creating too much dust or ammonia.
• Adjust the drinkers to avoid leakage of water. Drinker management includes frequent moving of drinkers, paying proper attetion to the height of drinkers, water depth and number of drinkers.
• Frequently turn litter below drinkers and feeders to allow litter to dry out. Heat and moisture of litter under the drinkers and feeders promote the growth of beetle and fly larvae.
• Store litter in a dry area, if possible prior to using. It is ideal to place litter with 20-25% moisture in the house before placing the birds. To maintain "good quality" poultry litter throughout the life of the flock, it takes daily evaluations and adjustments of house temperature, ventilation, drinker mangement and physically "working the litter".

FMONITORING MINERAL CONTENT OF FEED

• Feed levels of sodium and chloride (salt) should be determined. The water should be checked periodically for mineral concentrations, especially for sulfate and magnesium.

F ENZYMES IN FEED

• To control wet droppings associated with some feed ingredients rich in NSPs it is essential to use a commercially available enzyme preparations in the diet if wheat, mustard seed meal, GNE, Soya meal, DORB, Sunflower extract etc. are used for diet formulation.

F TOXIN BINDERS AND MOLD INHIBITORS

• To prevent mold growth, eventually mycotoxins, from becoming a problem, good quality feed ingredients must be used in the poultry diets.
• Besides, a suitable broad-spectrum toxin binder and a mold inhibitor should be included in the feed.
• Feed handling equipment must be cleaned and disinfected periodically.
• Caked and moldy feed lodged in handling equipment can contaminate feed as it passes through the equipment; thus any caked feed must be routinely removed.

F DISEASE PREVENTION / CONTROL

• Use of Antibacterial Growth Promoters (AGP) in the feed to check the level of pathogens, especially enteric pathogens such as E.coli and Salmonella which are the main culprits in causing wet litter.
• Following proper vaccination programme to prevent the viral diseases.
• Control of coccidiosis through the use of an anticoccidial supplement in the feed is essential because if not controlled, coccidial infection may lead to necrotic enteritis and wet litter.

CONCLUSION

Maintaining moisture levels of poultry house litter in the proper range is essential if the production potential of the flock is to be realized. To accomplish this, management practices must ensure that high quality feed is provided to the flock, disease organisms are not permitted to enter the premises, and adequate ventilation systems and quality bedding material are used.

LITTER CONDITIONS AND RELATED DISEASES

SOME POSSIBLE RELATED FACTORS CAUSING ENTERIC DISORDERS AND INFLUENCE LITER CONDITION (mod. Ferket, 1996)