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Effect of Dry Litter and Airflow in Reducing Salmonella and Escherichia coli Populations in the Broiler Production Environment

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

L. E. Carr

Department of Biological Resources Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742

S. W. Joseph

Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742; Phone: 301-405-5452; FAX: 301-314-9489

Correspondence: S. W. Joseph, E-mail:sj13{at}umail.umd.edu

Broiler farm management should include properly maintained watering devices and appropriate house ventilation practices for an optimal preharvest production environment. An effective strategy to prevent dripping water and spillage and to ensure a modest but continuous and uniform flow of air directly over the litter surface appears to create an unfavorable environment for enteric bacteria.

Qualitative and quantitative findings have revealed that Salmonella contamination loci are not equally distributed in the broiler litter. Higher Salmonella and Escherichia coli counts were detected in litter samples with water activity (a_w) greater than 0.90 and percentage moisture content (MC) greater than 35%. At reduced a_w and MC levels, the numbers of viable Salmonella cells were low, further reflecting the importance of preventing excessively damp areas (e. g., "cake") in broiler litter. Additionally, litter surface airflow measurements suggested that those areas exposed to modest air velocities (100 to 150 ft/min or approximately 1.5 mph) had drier litter and reduced E. coli populations.

Key Words: Airflow • litter management • litter moisture • risk reduction • Salmonella • water activity