Re-use predominantly occurs in New South Wales and Queensland with litter that started as sawdust or wood shavings bedding, or a mixture of both. Overseas, a wider variety of litter materials are re-used, including shavings, sawdust, corn cobs, rice hulls and straw pellets.

Partial litter re-use has been successful in New South Wales and Queensland for more than 30 years. It takes time to optimise systems and management practises but once established reduces costs without negatively impacting meat chicken health or productivity. Some consequences may require more management when re-using litter, such as in-shed ammonia concentration (see Litter additives and Ammonia control via ventilation). With appropriate monitoring and management, suitable levels of ammonia can be maintained for meat chicken production (Wiedemann, 2015c) and litter additives can also assist with reducing ammonia generation (see Litter additives). Pathogens associated with food safety and meat chicken performance and health can be managed via heaping or windrowing to partially pasteurise the litter between growth cycles (Wiedemann, 2015c). Detailed information on the principles, practices and procedures when under taking pasteurisation can be found in Laurenson et al. (2016), Walkden-Brown (2016a) and Walkden-Brown (2016b).

Partial litter re-use has been successful in New South Wales and Queensland for more than 30 years, and although initially taking time to optimise systems and management practises, the practice reduces costs without negatively impacting meat chicken health or productivity.