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ANR-557

A L A B A M A A & M A N D A U B U R N U N I V E R S I T I E S

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Feeding BroilerLitter to Beef Cattle

Cattle and other ruminants have a unique diges-tive system that allows them to use waste and

other types of by-products as sources of dietary nu-trients. The cattle-feeding industry has been builtlargely on the use of by-products and other materi-als that can be digested only by ruminants. One by-product that can be used as a cattle feed is broilerlitter.

The broiler chicken industry has long consid-ered broiler litter a problem by-product. It has beenused mainly as a fertilizer. However, fertilizer doesnot make the most efficient use of broiler litter. Interms of the cost of replacing the nutrients it pro-vides with nutrients from other sources, broiler lit-ter is worth four times more as a cattle feed ingre-dient than as fertilizer. Litter is a good source ofprotein, energy, and minerals, especially for broodcows and stocker cattle, which are the backbone ofthe cattle industry in the state. In addition to offer-ing an economic advantage, using broiler litter infeed also helps to conserve plant nutrients. Thesenutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, andother mineral elements, are distributed on pastureland as manure by the cattle consuming the litter.Under present conditions, broiler litter offers somany advantages that even long-distance trans-portation does not reduce its economic value.Alabama beef cattle producers can make use of thisplentiful resource to substantially reduce their pro-duction costs.

Most beef producers take into account the pub-lic perception of beef when they are consideringusing waste materials as feed. There is an apparentreluctance on the part of the public, as well as ofsome beef producers, to accept broiler litter as acattle feed. However, the public readily accepts or-ganically grown vegetables grown on compostedbroiler litter. The process by which a plant assimi-lates food into its tissues is much less complicatedthan the process by which a cow does the samething; a cow’s food is broken down and processedmuch more completely. And, in fact, a cow mustbe off broiler litter for 15 days before it can beslaughtered for beef, while a mushroom can go di-rectly from its bed of manure to the grocery store.

It is important that the beef industry avoid acontroversy over the healthfulness of beef. Broilerlitter has been used as feed for several years in allareas of the country without any recorded harmfuleffects on humans who have consumed the prod-ucts of these animals. In addition, in Alabama, litteris most commonly fed to brood cows and stockercattle that are not usually marketed as slaughterbeef. Very little if any litter is in the diets of fin-ished cattle fed for slaughter (although, allowing a15-day withdrawal period from feeding litter beforeslaughter, such a diet would be considered safe).So, the possibility of any human health hazard, ei-ther real or imagined, is remote.

In sum, the use of broiler litter as a cattle feedoffers three primary advantages:

1. It is an environmentally responsible use of aproblem by-product.

2. It provides an incentive for the proper man-agement of this by-product by poultry and cattleproducers alike.

3. It economizes the production of beef cattle.

Regulations on Feeding LitterIn 1967, when the FDA issued a policy state-

ment that discouraged the feeding of litter andother types of animal wastes, there was relativelylittle knowledge available on feeding broiler litter.In 1980, after extensive testing by researchers atuniversities and USDA facilities, the FDA rescindedits earlier policy statement and announced that theregulation of litter should be the responsibility ofthe state departments of agriculture. At present atleast 22 states have regulations pertaining to themarketing of litter and other animal wastes as feedingredients.

Presently, no federal laws or regulations controlthe sale or use of broiler litter as a feed ingredient.Also, no state laws specifically regulate the feedingof animal waste and other by-products. But, severalstates have regulations that govern the sale throughcommercial markets of these products intended forsale as a feed ingredient. The Alabama Board ofAgriculture and Industries adopted regulations

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under the Commercial Feed Law to deal with onlycommercial transactions of processed animal waste.These regulations do not address private useor exchange of broiler litter or other animalwaste.

Processed broiler litter offered for sale in com-mercial channels as a feed ingredient must meetcertain quality standards. The regulations governinganimal-waste feed were adopted by the Board ofAgriculture and Industries and went into effectJanuary 1, 1977. Those regulations are listed underAgricultural Chemistry Regulation No. 9. If animalwaste contains drugs or drug residues, it must carrya label that reads “WARNING: This product con-tains drug residues; do not use within 15 days ofslaughter.” This warning should also be observedby any farm feeder of broiler litter.

The beef producer, regardless of governmentregulation of the feedstuffs used, has the responsi-bility of selling a wholesome animal that is freefrom drugs and toxic substances. To minimizerisks from drug residues in the tissues of beefcattle that are fed litter, all litter feeding shouldbe discontinued 15 days before the animals aremarketed for slaughter. Litter should not be fedto lactating dairy cows, because there is no oppor-tunity for a withdrawal period to ensure the elimi-nation of residues from milk. Because of the sensi-tivity of sheep to copper, litter containing highconcentrations of copper should not be fed tothese animals. These safety precautions are gener-ally sufficient to eliminate most health risks associ-ated with drug residues that may be associatedwith broiler litter.

For further information on regulations govern-ing the commercial sale of broiler litter, contact theAlabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.As stated previously, these regulations apply onlyto broiler litter offered for commercial sale.

Nutritional Value of Broiler LitterThe bedding materials used in broiler houses in

Alabama are wood shavings, sawdust, peanut hulls,and some shredded paper products. Poultry houseowners use these products in varying amounts forthe initial bedding and as additional bedding aftereach batch of birds. The bedding material alone isa low-quality feed ingredient. However, with theaddition of feathers, waste feed, and excrementfrom the birds, the nutrient quality of the litter im-proves.

The kind of bedding material used in a broilerhouse has little effect on the quality of the litterwhen it is used for feeding cattle. Because theamount of bedding used and the number of batches

of birds housed on the litter are not standardized orregulated, litter quality can vary considerably fromone producer to another. Other factors such as broil-er house management, the method of litter removal,and moisture content can add to the variation in littercomposition and quality. The average nutrient con-tent of 106 samples of broiler litter collected fromacross Alabama is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Nutrient Content of Broiler Litter in Alabama

Components, Dry basis Average Range

Moisture 19.5 4.70-39Dry matter, % 80.5 61-95

TDN*, % 50.0 36-64Crude Protein, % 24.9 15-38Bound Nitrogen, % 15.0 5-64Crude Fiber, % 23.6 11-52Minerals

Calcium, % 2.3 0.81-6.13Phosphorus, % 1.6 0.56-3.92Potassium, % 2.3 0.73-5.17Magnesium, % 0.52 0.19-0.88Sulfur, % 0.50 0.22-0.83Copper, ppm 473 25-1,003Iron, ppm 2377 529-12,604Manganese, ppm 348 125-667Zinc, ppm 315 106-669

Ash (minerals) 24.7 9-54106 Samples; *TDN = Total Digestible Nutrients

Moisture. The amount of moisture in broilerlitter is determined by the management of wateringsystems in the broiler house. The moisture contentof the litter does not vary significantly betweenfresh litter and litter stacked for 6 months.

Though moisture content is not an importantmeasure of nutrient value, it will determine thephysical quality of the feed. If the moisture contentis 25 percent or more, a feed mix will not flow eas-ily through an auger. However, if the broiler litter is12 percent moisture or less, the ration may bedusty and less palatable to the cows. Some beefproducers see an increase in feed consumptionwhen water is added to extremely dry mixtures oflitter and grain just prior to feeding.

TDN. The Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) fig-ure is calculated from crude protein and crude fibervalues. The energy value of broiler litter is fairlylow in comparison to grain. However, litter that hasa calculated value of 50 percent TDN is comparableto good-quality hay. Litter could be a valuablesource of energy for both stocker cattle and broodcows.

Crude Protein. The average crude proteinlevel of the samples analyzed was 24.9 percent.More than 40 percent of the crude protein in littercan be in the form of nonprotein nitrogen. Thenonprotein nitrogen is mostly uric acid that is

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excreted by poultry. Young ruminants do not utilizenon-protein nitrogen as readily as more maturebeef cattle. So, for best performance, feed broilerlitter to beef cattle weighing more than 400pounds.

Bound Nitrogen. When feed ingredients over-heat, the nitrogen becomes insoluble (bound), andcattle can digest it less easily. The bound nitrogenin the litter samples analyzed in this study averaged15 percent of the total nitrogen. In litter thatshowed signs of overheating, more than 50 percentof the total nitrogen was bound nitrogen.

Studies have shown that as the amount ofbound nitrogen increases, the dry-matter digesti-bility decreases. Thus, overheating significantly re-duces the feeding value of the litter. Methods formanaging the temperature of stored litter are dis-cussed in the section on processing and storingbroiler litter.

Crude Fiber. Crude fiber composed an averageof 23.6 percent of the samples analyzed. The fibercomes mainly from chicken bedding materials suchas wood shavings, sawdust, and peanut hulls.Bedding usually consists of finely ground, shortfiber materials.

The fiber in litter cannot effectively meet theruminant’s need for fiber, because cattle also needlong roughage to maintain their digestive systemsproperly. Cattle fed litter will naturally crave andreadily consume long roughage. Even though thefiber content of litter is high, it is recommendedthat additional fiber be fed in the form of long hayor other roughage at a level of 1⁄2 pound per 100pounds of body weight.

Minerals. Broiler litter is an excellent source ofminerals. In fact, brood cows fed a diet of 80 per-cent litter and 20 percent grain will consume fivetimes more calcium, phosphorus, and potassiumthan required.

The excess minerals are not a problem exceptunder specific conditions. The 2 percent calciumlevel, in the presence of an imbalance of otherminerals, can cause milk fever in beef cows at calv-ing. This risk can be reduced by removing broodcows from a litter ration before calving or by pro-viding at least half of their feed as hay or otherroughage. It is not known exactly how many daysbefore calving a cow should be removed from lit-ter. However, based on milk fever studies withdairy cattle, 30 days should be adequate. Milk fevermay be a problem with a small number of cowsafter parturition. Therefore, brood cows consum-ing broiler litter at calving should be checkedoften.

The micro-minerals, copper, iron, and magne-sium are also present in larger amounts compared

to conventional feed ingredients. Copper, for exam-ple, is usually not fed at more than 150 ppm inbeef cattle diets. Higher levels can cause coppertoxicity. A brood cow herd fed broiler litter duringthe 120-day winter feeding period could receivemore than 600 ppm of copper. The excess copperwill build up in the liver tissue, but it is usually notharmful. The copper tissue level will usually returnto normal after the summer grazing period, whenno broiler litter is consumed.

Young stocker cattle fed a growing ration of 50percent litter and 50 percent grain will consumecopper in excess of 225 ppm. Young cattle, espe-cially those compromised by disease, can toleratethis high level of copper for only 180 to 200 days.Feeding stockers on broiler litter for less than 180days will significantly reduce copper toxicity prob-lems.

Ash. Ash in litter is made up of minerals fromfeed, broiler excrement, bedding material, and soil.Ash content is one of the important measures ofthe quality of litter. The samples analyzed con-tained an average of 24.7 percent ash. Ash con-tents of more than 28 percent are too high andshould not be fed to beef cattle.

Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and traceminerals make up about 12 percent of the ash inbroiler litter; the remaining ash is soil. Care shouldbe taken to keep the ash content, especially thesoil percentage, as low as possible if the litter is tobe used for cattle feed. Most soil is incorporatedinto litter during removal from the broiler houseand loading on trucks for transportation.

Processing and Storing Broiler LitterBroiler litter, like any other feed ingredient, has

potential hazards associated with its use. Manycommon feed ingredients have risks associatedwith pesticide residues, mycotoxins such as afla-toxin, and even nitrate toxicity. Broiler litter has po-tential hazards associated with pathogenic bacteria,such as Salmonella, and residues from medicatedpoultry rations, such as antibiotics, coccidiostats,copper, and arsenic. All litter, regardless of itssource, should be processed to eliminate path-ogenic organisms.

Some broiler producers are considering thecomposting of dead birds in piles of broiler litter.Although this method might acceptably solve theproblem of dead bird disposal, litter used in thisway should not be used as a feed source for beefcattle. The potential for disease transmission to thecattle has not been determined, and until researchis complete, it is recommended that such litter notbe used as a feed ingredient.

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Processing of broiler litter as a feed ingredientcan be accomplished by any one of several meth-ods:

1. Litter can be mixed with other feed ingredi-ents and ensiled to encourage acid production thatis common with corn or sorghum silage. When en-siling litter with corn or sorghum silage, add litterat 20 to 30 percent of the dry matter of the silagecrop.

2. Litter can be directly acidified to achieve es-sentially the same effect.

3. Litter can be heat-treated as would occurduring mechanical drying or pelleting of feeds.

4. The most economical and by far the mostpractical method of processing litter is deepstacking. A temperature of 130 degrees F or higherwill occur in the stack within 5 days. To ensure theelimination of Salmonella and other potentialpathogens, the litter should be deep-stacked for atleast 20 days. Studies have demonstrated that path-ogenic bacteria (intentionally added to litter at lev-els higher than encountered in infected litter) werekilled when litter was deep-stacked for 5 days.Longer stacking times are recommended to ensurea good margin of safety from pathogens.

In addition to the heat generated in stacked lit-ter, ammonia resulting from the degradation of uricacid and urea, which are common nitrogen com-pounds in litter, also kills pathogenic organisms. At140 degrees F, bacteria such as Salmonella, tuber-cule bacilli (associated with avian and bovine tu-berculosis), and pathogens excreted with feces arekilled within an hour. There is essentially no riskinvolved with transmitting diseases through thefeeding of litter if the litter has been deepstacked for a period of 20 days or more, andthe stack has reached an internal temperatureof 130 degrees F or more.

Antibiotics fed to broiler chickens are not aproblem when the litter is fed to beef cattle. Manyof the antibiotics are degraded by microorganismspresent in the litter as it is processed. Furthermore,essentially all the antibiotics approved for chickensare also approved for cattle.

Mycotoxins such as aflatoxin are not a cause forconcern when feeding litter to cattle. Molds thatproduce mycotoxins do not grow well in litter be-cause it is alkaline, because it releases ammoniathat is toxic to molds, and because the growth ofmolds is limited to surfaces exposed to air. Deep-stack processing of litter helps to curtail moldgrowth.

Broiler litter is usually handled in bulk andtransported in fairly large amounts. Thus, somebeef producers store litter in 100- to 300-ton stacks.

With proper storage there is very little loss inquality, even when litter is stored for more than 5years. However, some precautions must be taken toensure a good-quality litter at feeding time.

Heat is the one thing that reduces the quality ofbroiler litter in the stack. Excessive heating reducesthe digestibility of the dry matter in the litter. Freshstacked litter develops heat spontaneously. Trialshave been conducted using a number of chemicaladditives such as urea or acid, as well as other pro-cedures, to limit the heating of stacked litter.

Excessive heating (more than 140 degrees F)can be controlled by limiting the moisture contentof the litter to less than 25 percent and by limitingthe litter’s exposure to air. Some producers usefarm tractors to exclude oxygen when packingbroiler litter. This process will reduce overheating,but it is also expensive. Storing broiler litter in anupright silo has been shown to be an excellentstorage procedure. However, litter is abrasive onsilage handling equipment.

Sealing the broiler litter stack with 6 mil poly-ethylene to exclude oxygen is the least expensivemethod of heat control. Polyethylene should beused if the stack is under a barn or if it is outside.Figure 1 shows the temperature profile of twostacks of litter 12 feet deep, one uncovered and theother covered with polyethylene. To destroypathogens in the litter, the temperature shouldreach 130 degrees F. If the temperature is 160 de-grees F or higher, the protein becomes bound and

Figure 1. Temperature profile for litter, measured 4 feetfrom top of stack

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digestibility decreases. In both stacks of litter, thetemperature was in excess of 130 degrees F for 21days. The litter covered with polyethylene achieveda temperature high enough to eliminate pathogensbut did not overheat and decrease nitrogen di-gestibility. The litter stack that was not coveredreached a temperature 27 degrees F higher than thecovered stack.

Suggested RationsBecause the nutrient levels in broiler litter are

variable, the suggested rations in Table 2 should beused only as a guide. A supplement of vitamin Ashould be added to all broiler litter rations becauselitter is almost totally devoid of this nutrient.Adding Bovatec or Rumensin will decrease the inci-dence of bloat when feeding stockers.

Ration 3 is formulated for growing stocker cat-tle. Stocker cattle weighing 500 pounds will con-sume about 3 percent of their body weight of thisration. Healthy stocker cattle that have beenwormed, vaccinated, implanted, and otherwisemanaged as recommended should gain an averageof 2 pounds daily when fed this ration.

Several studies have been conducted to evaluatevarious feed combinations and sources ofroughages for feeding stocker calves. In summary,these studies showed that feeding some additionalroughage to stocker calves consuming the broilerlitter mix was necessary. Feeding the roughage in afree-choice manner resulted in an increase in dailygains of .25 pounds per day over those that werelimit-fed at a level of .5 percent of body weight perday (i.e., a half pound of hay per 100 pounds ofbody weight). In addition to cracked corn, otherfeeds have given similar results when mixed withbroiler litter. Studies have shown that all of the corncan be replaced with soybean hulls with equal re-sults. Another common ingredient to use is hominyfeed, which is a corn product that is alreadyground.

Feeding Ration 3 to stockers during the condi-tioning period and during the typical winter deficitgrazing period has been shown to improve totalgain. Research has also demonstrated that stockingrates can be increased and rates of gain maintainedby feeding the ration free-choice on winter grazingcrops. Stockering cattle on summer pasture alonehas produced only 1 pound daily gain. ProvidingRation 3 free-choice increased the rate of gain tomore than 2 pounds daily and increased the totalpounds of beef produced. So, supplementing bothwinter and summer grazing for stocker cattle withthe broiler litter ration results in an increased eco-nomic return.

Since only about one third of the broiler litterpresently produced in the state is high enough inquality to be fed to beef cattle, all litter that is fedshould be tested for nutrient content. Beef pro-ducers should use broiler litter that is at least18 percent crude protein and is less than 28percent ash. Not more than 25 percent of thecrude protein should be bound or insoluble.Other nutrient levels are important also, but theseare the most critical measures of quality. The nutri-ent content of broiler litter can be determined bysubmitting a sample through the Feed and ForageAnalysis Program, Alabama Cooperative ExtensionSystem, Auburn University. Your local Extension of-fice can provide information and materials for sub-mitting a sample for analysis.

Table 2. Suggested Rations

Ration Number 1a 2b 3a, b

Dry Brood Lactating StockersCow Cow

Ingredients Pounds

Broiler Litter 800 650 500Cracked Corn 200 350 500Total Pounds 1,000 1,000 1,000

Nutritional Content, %

Dry Matter 80.5 82.2 83.8TDN 62.6 68.3 70.3Crude Protein 18.1 16.4 14.7Crude Fiber 21.2 17.2 13.6Calcium 1.6 1.27 0.96Phosphorus 1.30 1.11 0.93aAdd vitamin A at 1,500 I. U. per pound of feed.bRumensin or Bovatec can be added to feed at 150 milligrams per day for ani-mals weighing less than 700 pounds and 200 milligrams per day for animalsweighing more than 700 pounds.

In Table 2, Ration 1 is calculated for use as themajor ration for dry beef cows until 3 to 4 weeksbefore calving. Hay or some other roughage shouldbe provided to maintain normal rumen function.Approximately 5 pounds per day of long hayshould be adequate. A 1,000-pound dry cow willrequire 20 to 24 pounds of Ration 1 during the win-ter months for maintenance. Corn that is mixedwith broiler litter should be cracked or ground.Cattle that are fed mixtures of litter and whole graincorn or other grains tend to waste more feed thanwhen fed ground grain mixtures.

Ration 2 is formulated for the lactating broodcow. Fed at about 25 pounds daily, this ration willfurnish adequate nutrients during the wintermonths. Some long hay or other roughage will beneeded for both the lactating brood cow and thedry cow for normal rumen function.

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Darrell Rankins, Associate Professor, Animal and Dairy Sciences, Auburn University.Originally prepared by B.G. Ruffin and Norwood J. Van Dyke, former ExtensionAnimal Scientists, and T.A. McCaskey, Professor, Animal and Dairy Sciences, AuburnUniversity.

For more information, call your county Extension office. Look in your telephone di-rectory under your county’s name to find the number.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The AlabamaCooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs,materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion,sex, age, veteran status, or disability. UPS, 5M16, Revised May 2000, ANR-557ANR-557

ConclusionBroiler litter has been used as a cattle feed in-

gredient for several years without harmful effects tohumans who have consumed products of these ani-mals. The purpose of this publication is neither topromote nor to condemn the feeding of litter, butrather to serve as a source of information on usinglitter as a feed ingredient.

Due to the unique ability of ruminant animalsto digest forages, other fibrous materials, and inor-ganic nitrogen such as urea, there is a growingawareness worldwide that by-products of agricul-ture and the food processing industry can serve aslow-cost, alternative feed sources for these animals.The use of broiler litter as an alternative feedstuffmay become more widespread as the need foreconomy in agriculture and for responsible wastemanagement becomes more urgent.