Windrowing poultry litter after a broiler house has been sprinkled with water

In-house windrowing of poultry litter between broiler flocks has been promoted as a management practice to improve the litter condition upon chick placement. Before the onset of the current study, low-pressure sprinklers were used during the grow-out period in a broiler house. Different methods of windrowing were then utilized to determine the effect each had on litter composition. Covered, turned, and static 9 d windrow treatments, and one non-windrowed control were applied to a broiler house containing litter used over multiple flock grow-outs. The house was divided into 16 6 × 6 m plots with each treatment being applied to 4 blocks within the house. Litter from each plot was analyzed for particle size, moisture, N, NH₃, P, K, pH, and temperature over a 20-day period, with d 20 representing 7 d after chick placement. All variables except particle size were statistically different. Of all the treatments, the covered treatment showed the greatest reduction in moisture over the 20-day period. Nitrogen content was lowest in the turned treatment. Ammonia decreased from d 9 to 20. Both the covered and static treatments were able to reach recommended temperatures in both the core and the periphery of the windrows. Conclusively, in-house windrowing after utilizing low-pressure sprinklers did not improve N retention, reduce NH₃ volatilization, or decrease P or K in the litter compared to the control. However, the temperatures obtained in the periphery and core of the covered and static treatments show potential for eliminating pathogens present in the litter.