Queensland Guidelines: Meat Chicken Farms - Department of ...

A4
Short-term spent litter stockpiles (less than a
week) are:
covered prior to permanent removal to
avoid nutrient leaching from rainfall and
to minimise dust and odour emissions
stockpiled on an impermeable base
bunded to prevent entry and
contamination of stormwater run-off.
A5
Spent litter composting areas are:
located in an area where the depth to
the watertable exceeds 2 metres
located on an impermeable base to
avoid leaching of nutrients and possible
groundwater contamination
bunded to prevent entry and
contamination of stormwater run-off
well drained to avoid pooling of run-off
set up so that run-off is collected in a
wastewater collection system
managed to avoid dust and odour
emissions and reduce pathogens in the
litter. Composting of spent litter should
be complete in 6 to 8 weeks and
another 4 weeks allowed for curing. For
composting, the optimum moisture
content is around 50 to 55 per cent wet
basis. The optimum carbon to nitrogen
ratio is between 15:1 and 30:1, and the
optimum temperature is between 60 and
65 degrees Celsius (refer to FSA
Consulting – Meat Chicken Technical
Environmental Note 3 Composting and
Pasteurising Spent Litter).
A6
Site drainage from meat chicken sheds and
composting areas must ensure that all
contaminated run-off is directed to an
appropriately sized effluent pond.
A7
Nutrient, pathogen and contaminant levels
in stormwater discharged from the meat
chicken farm must not exceed the water
quality guideline levels of the Australian and
New Zealand guidelines for fresh and
marine water quality 2000 and the relevant
regional plan.
Queensland Guidelines Meat Chicken Farms 30