What are the safety concerns associated with using poultry manure and litter as a feed ingredient?
Concerns are of a dual nature. That is to say, there is concern for both the health of the animal ingesting the feed and for food safety as humans eating the edible end products of these animals may be exposed to contaminants. Safety concerns are varied depending on the source of poultry litter and manure. There is also potential for pathogenic microbial contamination, i.e., bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli and Clostridium botulinum. The transfer of residues of drugs approved for use in poultry may result in residues in manure and litter. Other concerns include chemical contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides which may accumulate in poultry waste products.
