Reducing risks of salmonella in animal bedding

Published on : 5 Sep 2022

As with so many health issues prevention is always better than a cure, we look at how choosing the right bedding can reduce the risk of Salmonella being introduced into free range flocks.

It’s a simple and obvious fact but the best way to reduce the risk of Salmonella occurring is to ensure that it is not introduced on to the farm in the first place.  Alongside the risks associated with the introduction of infected chicks, food, human activity and bedding are naturally the most significant inputs into any free range environment.  By better controlling these input risks we can significantly reduce the likelihood of harmful bacteria being present.

Even under the most stringent operating conditions and controls, however, there is always the potential for bacteria to occur.  In this situation the type of bedding being used can play a key role in minimising any impact. This is achieved by avoiding the creation of damp warm environments that provide the ideal habitat for bacterial growth.  Birds will work, scratch and turnover bedding, thus allowing certain bedding to release moisture reducing the risks of bacterial growth and allow dust bathing.

With the wide range of products on offer, choosing the right bedding can be a challenge for producers who are looking to control risk and cost, with each come their own benefits and challenges.

Straw – the main challenge with straw is implied in its name.  Its tube structure makes it hard to treat as you cannot be sure the chemicals used to sterilize the material are getting inside.  This is coupled with the fact that straw is very susceptible to being compromised by wild birds and rodents. As a result, it is regarded as one of the highest risk bedding materials, although widely used with readily available supplies, low cost straw usage can be much higher than other products. On the positive side spent litter from straw use is more widely used on farmland for fertilizer.

Rape straw – is by nature very fibrous and as a result it easily attracts and retains moisture. It is also difficult to treat and if harvested or packed with any moisture it can deteriorate rapidly even before use. Rape straw in the free range scratch areas breaks down much quicker than normal straw and if dry can make ideal dust bathing for the birds, however once wet it struggles to recover.

Shavings – have for a long time been the preferred choice of bedding but over the last 10 years with saw mills and timber manufacturing industries reducing and the introduction of high speed shaving machines that produce a smaller shaving with a much higher dust content, the price of good quality shavings have risen with the equine industry taking the better quality. This has led to shavings falling out of favour due to quality, price and supply. They are also widely used in small scale biomass which again has increased dramatically over the past three years. This has made the sourcing of them even more of a problem due to the seasonal demands of biomass plants outside of the poultry industry.

Shavings are sometimes viewed in a different light, being a by-product of other processes, biosecurity is hard to achieve and as a result it is difficult know what they may have been exposed to throughout the manufacturing process. It is also common for them to have come into contact with wild avian species whilst in open transport. Shavings do have good friability however they can struggle in heavily soiled and capped areas.

Paper – can require a significant amount of treatment prior to being utilised as bedding.  It can also be hard to handle especially when it needs to be cleared out as it absorbs water and unlike wood-based bedding it won’t release it again making it more difficult for the birds to work or scratch, paper will easily cap. When wet, paper will stick to any surface and is very difficult to remove or clean on turnaround.

There are however other wood based alternatives such as easichick available on the market.  These manufactured products retain the positive characteristics of wood in their ability to accept and release moisture but don’t break down and compact in the same way as shavings, paper and straw for example. By retaining their structure these products allow moisture to pass through the substrate and allow the birds to work the litter. This in turn reduces the potential for compact damp environment where bacterial growth will be accelerated.  It’s a bit like a gravel drive which retains its integrity even when subjected to motion and pressure on the surface the only difference being the disturbance results from hens, pecking and scratching the material.

One of the key innovations developed by easichick is its unique treatment technology ensuring that the bedding is bacteria free and manufactured in a biosecure environment.  This unique formulation has been manufactured for the last 15 years and has years of microbiology and toxicology data to provide reassurance to users. This coupled with a modern lab facility and QC systems ensures constant testing to provide consistent bacteria free bedding. As a result, there has never been a single instance of Salmonella in bacteria leaving the production facility.

In addition to reducing input risk and minimising bacterial breeding grounds, easichick also has a practical advantage when it comes to laying. The structure of the product also means that hens don’t like to lay their eggs directly on to it. This increases the use of nesting boxes and reduces the number of floor eggs.  Whilst they are treated, floor eggs present a higher risk from Salmonella due to their contact with the floor where dirt and bacteria can reside.  Even though these eggs will be washed there is the potential for bacteria to have already penetrated the egg due to its porous nature.  

One final benefit of the bedding is that if an egg is laid directly onto it then less of the egg’s surface area comes into contact with bedding when compared to other more compact beddings – this again reduces the bacterial challenges.

Ultimately, choosing modern specifically designed wood-based bedding products can play an important role in helping free range egg producers to reduce the opportunity for harmful bacteria to enter the birds’ environment.  It will also ensure hens are kept dry and reduce the potential for damp warm environments that foster the growth of bacteria and other infections.  Delivered in easy to handle 20kg bales this Organic Farmers & Growers accredited bedding has over 15 years of happy customers to recommend it.