Effectiveness of poultry litter amendments on bacterial survival and Eimeria oocyst sporulation

Broilers' optimum performance in response to their genetic potential depends on litter environment which is ideal for bacterial survival and coccidian oocyst sporulation. An evaluation was conducted for the effectiveness of superphosphate, meta-bisulfide, and charcoal litter amendments in minimizing O157:H7 and Typhimurium survival, oocyst count, and sporulation. Three groups of 16 litter trays were prepared and inoculated with O157:H7, . Typhimurium, and non-sporulated oocyst. A set of four trays in each group was designed for each one of the chemical amendments. A total of 720 litter samples were collected and examined for bacterial counts, oocyst count, and sporulation during the experimental period (35 days). Litter moisture and pH revealed a highly significant (p