As the winter housing period approaches, the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) is warning farmers of the risks to livestock from poultry litter used as bedding material.

The use of poultry (most often broiler) litter can lead to outbreaks of botulism in bedded livestock - mostly cattle - and some farms have suffered repeated outbreaks of disease as a result of continuing this practice over several years.  AHVLA has always advised against the use of poultry litter as bedding material because of the risk of botulism, and now emphasises that this is also an illegal practice under animal by-product laws.

Under current law, poultry litter is treated as manure, defined as a Category 2 animal by-product, and so is illegal to use as bedding. If farmers use poultry litter as bedding for other stock they risk breaching by-product laws, but also animal welfare laws, AHVLA warned on Thursday (25th October).

The warning comes after 30 cattle were killed in Cumbria earlier this month when litter polluted with carcases was spread on farmland. Scavenging animals are believed to have spread the disease to surrounding farms. The incident is being investigated by Cumbria Council’s trading standards department and AHVLA.

Robert Hogg, a veterinary investigation officer, at the AHVLA said, “We continue to see cases of botulism in cattle and sheep exposed to broiler litter, mainly whilst at pasture. That is why we advise against the use of litter on any grassland, as there is concern that the litter may contain botulinum toxin which is known to remain potent for long periods. Animals have become affected through direct access to litter when it has been heaped or spread in the field where they are grazing, and indirectly from litter in neighbouring fields, possibly as the result of movement of material in the litter by scavenging birds and animals.

“Animals fed silage made from fields fertilised with broiler litter are also known to have succumbed to disease. We therefore recommend livestock are kept away from litter waiting to be spread, that litter is applied only to arable land, and that it is ploughed in immediately.”

Further advice on safe use of poultry litter from AHVLA can be found here  and here.

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