Equipment for Cleaning Out Poultry House Litter

Poultry litter is defined as a mixture of poultry manure and bedding material. The litter should be routinely removed in order to prevent the possible spread of disease within the flock, according to Ohio State University. The methods and equipment used to remove the litter vary greatly with the size and scale of the poultry operation.

  1. Small Scale Poultry House Cleaning

    • Hobby and small scale poultry farms often use shovels and wheelbarrows to clean the litter from the poultry house. Other options include using a 5-gallon bucket and rake. In houses too small for mechanical equipment, hand tools are the only option. In small scale poultry operations, the litter is often removed when it reaches levels that interfere with feeding and caring for the poultry.

    Large Scale Poultry House Cleaning

    • Tractors and skid steer loaders are commonly used to remove litter from larger poultry houses. Tractors with loaders often have larger buckets than skid steers but skid steers usually accomplish more due to their maneuverability. These implements remove the litter from the houses and load it on trucks or trailers for removal. In operations of this size, poultry houses are usually designed to accommodate power equipment for cleaning.

      According to the University of Missouri Extension Service, large scale poultry operations partially clean, referred to as decaking, after each flock is removed from the house. This is most often done with a skid steer loader. A complete cleaning of the poultry boiler house is performed once a year. New bedding, usually sawdust or rice hulls, is placed on the floor of the poultry house after cleaning.

    Disposing of Poultry Litter

    • Poultry litter is considered an ideal fertilizer and is often spread on farm fields in large scale operation and on gardens of hobby poultry houses. The material is high in nitrogen, potash and phosphates. Poultry litter is spread on farm fields with manure spreaders. These specialized implements can be either truck or trailer mounted and include rotating shafts at the back to spread the litter evenly across the field

      The litter is sometimes chemically analyzed, usually in larger operation, to determine the optimal application rate for farm fields. Test kits can handle random samples from around the poultry house for analysis. The local extension office can give out information concerning labs that perform this type of analysis.