The amount of litter and the interval between clean-outs will vary from farm to farm depending on the bedding material used and management practices adopted (e.g. multi-use). All meat chicken farms require a well-managed shed clean-out program to minimise the risk of disease transmission between growth cycles. During full clean-outs, any material that represents a risk to chicken health must be swept or vacuumed from sheds. Sheds (either part or whole) should then be washed with a biodegradable detergent.

In Australia, most spent litter is removed from the farm immediately after shed clean-out. The immediate removal is encouraged by processors to reduce the risk of disease transfer from one growth cycle to the next. This also reduces the risk of groundwater and surface water pollution on-farm, and the risk of dust and odour nuisance due to poor storage practices and use. Shed clean-out is mainly undertaken by contractors, who supply bobcats and front-end loaders. To reduce biosecurity risks, this equipment needs to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between each farm visit.

Most spent litter is removed from the farm immediately after clean-out, which is encouraged by processors to reduce the risk of disease transfer from one growth cycle to the next.

During clean-out, there is an increased risk of odour, dust and noise emissions from the farm, so shed clean-out needs to be carefully managed and timed to reduce these risks. Litter should not be excessively dry or wet at clean-out to reduce the potential for dust or odour to cause off-site impacts. If possible, schedule clean-outs when the impacts to close neighbours are minimal. Avoid early mornings, late afternoons and evenings when atmospheric dispersion is poor.