[Evaluation of methods for preparing chicken feces from the veterinary hygienic aspect]

Fresh and dried faeces of laying hens from battery fattening and faeces from complete confinement rearing were investigated with bacteriological and physico-chemical methods. The comparison shows that ventilated faeces from conveyor belts with significantly higher values of the autochthonous faecal flora (endogerms, coliform germs, faecal streptococci) are most unfavourable from an epidemiological-bacteriological point of view. Salmonellae occurred very frequently both in fresh faeces (in 76.9% of the samples) and in ventilated faeces from conveyor belts (in 83.9% of the samples), whereas this agent was only detectable in 1.9% of the samples of faeces from complete refinement rearing. Fifteen serovar were isolated, most frequently S. enteritidis (29.4%), but S. typhimurium only once (1.96%). The highest amount of salmonellae germs was found with 105 g in faeces from conveyor belts. There are no objections to the direct utilization of faeces as fertilizers from an epidemiological point of view. For epidemiological reasons, ventilated faeces from conveyor belts should not be directly sprayed over the soil. After air-drying in henhouses, these faeces should be stored and composted before they are used in agriculture. It was not possible to cultivate salmonellae and E. coli in summer and winter after the composting of dried hens' faeces. The salmonellae were no longer detectable from the 4th day onwards, native salmonellae from the 7th day (summer) and the 25th day (winter) onwards, and E. coli from the 88th day onwards. If all parameters, particularly the grain size, are observed, an epidemiologically perfect product comes into being after the fast drying of faeces.