Prepping for Winter Ammonia Buildup with Litter Life

If you've grown through any cold season, you know ammonia really kicks it up a notch when you're trying to keep the houses warm.
prepare for ammonia buildup in your poultry house

If you've grown birds through any cold season, you know ammonia really kicks it up a notch when you're trying to keep the houses warm. Instead of playing catch up when it gets to be unbearable, many growers we work with use our Litter Life to begin prepping floors for that cool season, now.

So this week, we're doing a deep dive into best practices for application, so you can get the most out of Litter Life.

 

 

 

Mix Ratio

The mix ratio for Litter Life is 1 gallon of product to 9 gallons of water per 2,000 square feet.

After mixing, allow the mixture to sit for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Then, apply with a sprayer—a 500 gallon house washer, 25 gallon tank on the back of a four wheeler, etc. Anything you have will get the job done!

Timing

Apply Litter Life at least 7–10 days before placement. For best results, apply 12–14 days before placement.

It is best to apply Litter Life on a bare pad, so the good bacteria in Litter Life are able to get down into the dirt to competitively exclude the bad bacteria (like E. coli and Clostridium). Applying Litter Life before placement also introduces beneficial, biologically active, organic carbon to the floor.

If you are not able to apply on a bare pad, apply Litter Life on your built-up litter before adding the new bedding.

After spraying Litter Life on a cool day, close up the house. This will keep in warmth to increase beneficial microbial activity. It is important to note that nitrogen that cannot bind to carbon in a 25:1 ratio will gas off as ammonia. So, 1–2 days after spraying, you can open your house to allow ammonia to exit.

We hope these rates and tips help you prep for winter ammonia buildup and get the most out of your Litter Life applications! 

About the Author

Allen Reynolds

Allen Reynolds

Poultry Sales Manager

This was written by Allen Reynolds, Southland Organics’ Poultry Sales Manager. Allen spent years working on poultry farms, from installing equipment to dumping chicks. He has been helping poultry farmers overcome obstacles since 2014, focusing on poultry farm strength in the antibiotic-free environment since 2017. He has traveled thousands of miles and worked closely with hundreds of farmers during his time with Southland Organics. Allen is known by even more farmers from the YouTube channel Poultry Biosecurity, where he regularly appears in videos that educate farmers on topics like bird health and farm business.

Learn more about Allen Reynolds

Erin Flowers

Copywriter and Editor

This was edited by Erin Flowers. As a writer and editor, Erin keeps a close eye on the details. Erin thoroughly researches each topic, fact checking and source searching to give our readers helpful resources for raising chickens, homesteading, and growing lawns and gardens. Erin graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in advertising. She began working with Southland Organics in 2018.

Learn more about Erin Flowers

Erin Flowers
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