Tackling Wet Litter in Poultry: Essential Strategies for Healthier Birds

You know the scene: it’s bitterly cold outside, the heater is working overtime, and while the barn feels “warm,” issues begin to creep in. The litter starts to cake, ammonia levels rise, and health problems seem to emerge out of nowhere. The root cause of these challenges? It’s often not simply a bedding issue—it’s a moisture-removal problem. When we fail to consistently remove excess moisture from the barn, litter becomes an overused sponge, and the consequences can be severe.

The Implications of Wet Litter: Welfare and Performance

Wet litter is not just an annoyance; it significantly impacts bird welfare and performance. In controlled trials where litter moisture was intentionally increased by spraying water on litter starting from day six, results were alarming. The “wet litter” groups had 99% severe footpad lesions by day 36, compared to only 2% in the control groups. The average footpad lesion score was 2.0 for the wet litter group versus 0.5 for controls.

This impact on welfare translated into performance issues as well. Over the entire 0–37 day period, birds raised on wet litter finished an average of 142 grams lighter (1,948 g vs. 2,090 g) and exhibited worse feed conversion ratios (1.681 vs. 1.614).

A Veterinarian’s Perspective

“The control of wet litter in broilers—and specifically low levels of enteritis—has become one of the most difficult challenges we face as poultry veterinarians. The modern broiler seems too easily stressed, with the early sign of stress being a more rapid gut passage of food material.”
— Richard Turner, MA Vet MB, MRCVS, International Poultry Production

Understanding Moisture Control: The Balancing Act

Moisture control boils down to a simple balance sheet:

• Moisture coming in: bird output + drinker losses + wetter droppings (due to gastrointestinal issues or feed changes)
• Moisture leaving: ventilation

When moisture removal cannot keep pace, litter condition deteriorates. This challenge becomes more pronounced during winter when farmers often cut back on ventilation to save on heating costs.

The Winter Trap: Cutting Ventilation

Most wet-litter issues begin with well-intentioned decisions to maintain barn warmth while controlling fuel expenses. Unfortunately, reduced ventilation leads to increased humidity. Warm, moist air coming into contact with cold surfaces results in condensation, transitioning litter from dry and loose to caked.

Higher litter moisture also exacerbates ammonia generation. Research summarized by USDA-ARS shows that increased litter moisture leads to heightened ammonia emissions, as microbes accelerate the breakdown of nitrogen in manure with moisture present.

Three Effective Strategies for Managing Litter Moisture

1) Stop Free Water Before Chasing Ventilation

Start by addressing obvious sources of excess moisture:

• Inspect drinker lines: Look for wet streaks or glossy patches indicating leaks.
• Fix leaks immediately: A single drip can create a significant wet zone.
• Consult your veterinarian: If droppings are uniformly wet, it could indicate a gut or management problem, not just a bedding issue.

2) Introduce Fresh Air Without Losing Heat

Farmers often do not overlook ventilation but rather face challenges when winter ventilation seems like a waste of heated air. Heat-recovery ventilation systems can alleviate this dilemma. These systems can efficiently extract moisture while recovering significant heat from outgoing air.

With conventional ventilation methods, one must balance complex factors like pressure, wind effects, and inlet adjustments. A heat exchanger, such as the ESA-3000, minimizes dependency on “perfect inlet tuning” by utilizing fans to push air into the barn. This approach improves air delivery, ensuring consistent mixing throughout the barn.

3) Ensure Consistent Conditions at Bird Level

Wet litter is often found in corners, near end walls, or other areas with inconsistent air movement. Focus on achieving even conditions, prioritizing bird comfort over average environmental metrics.

How to Monitor Airflow Effectively

• Use a Reliable Temp/RH Meter: Ensure stability before trusting readings.
• Observe Trends: Compare snapshots of morning vs. afternoon conditions, particularly after cold snaps or litter top-dressing.
• Utilize Your Senses: Signs like condensation, caking, and ammonia odors indicate a failure to evacuate moisture.
• Conduct a Smoke Test: This quick, visual assessment reveals where air is—or isn’t—moving, exposing dead zones that traditional thermostats may overlook.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Winter

• Severely cutting ventilation to save heat: This often leads to prolonged litter caking.
• Overheating while humidity rises: Warm, moist air results in condensation.
• Waiting until litter is caked to react: Delayed responses hamper proactive management.
• Relying on a single sensor reading: Measure trends rather than fixating on isolated data points.

Want to know if a heat exchanger could benefit your farm? Call us at +1-855-573-2877 to assess your barn setup and determine whether a heat exchanger is a viable solution for your operation. We can even conduct a smoke test as part of our evaluation.

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References

1. de Jong, I.C., Gunnink, H., & van Harn, J. (2014). Wet litter not only induces footpad dermatitis but also reduces overall welfare, technical performance, and carcass yield in broiler chickens. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 23(1), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.3382/japr.2013-00803
2. Turner, R. (MA Vet MB, MRCVS). International Poultry Production, Volume 22, Number 4. Article: wet litter / low level enteritis.
3. USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Poultry Litter Moisture Management to Reduce Ammonia. Factsheet summarizing findings from Miles et al., 2011.