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Getting ready for poultry litter windrowing? Here’s six steps to get the most out of your litter pasteurization process.

Step 1: Check Moisture Levels Prior to Starting Poultry Litter Windrowing

Optimal litter moisture content is 30 to 35%. If litter moisture and caking is excessive, consider removing some caked litter before forming windrows.

Step 2: Form Windrows with Poultry Litter

Pile litter into rows down the length of the house. Windrows should be at least 20 inches tall to ensure proper pile mass for good heating.

Step 3: Reach 135^oF for min. 72 hours

If you don’t reach the target temp for long enough, pathogen reduction won’t be as effective and your poultry litter windrowing will have been a lot of time and expense for less effect.

Step 4:  Turn windrows

After 72 hours at 135°F, turn the windrows to rotate material on the outside of the piles to the inside, and allow the litter to reheat for at least another 72 hours.

Step 5: Spread and ventilate

Spread the litter out evenly across the house and ventilate to remove moisture and ammonia.

Step 6: Apply PLT @ rate of 150-200 lbs./1,000 sq. ft.

After poultry litter windrowing, there will be high ammonia concentrations so be sure to apply PLT at a sufficient rate to eliminate ammonia and reduce litter pH.

The technical team at Jones-Hamilton has guided poultry growers through the process of windrowing for years and even taught countless classes on the topic to ensure maximum effectiveness. If you want assistance on ensuring your windrowing program is delivering the results you want, contact us today to schedule a consultation.