5 th International Symposium Managing Animal Mortalities, Products, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

5th International Symposium

Managing Animal Mortalities, Products, By-Products, & Associated Health Risk: Connecting Research, Regulations, & Responses September 28 – October 1, 2015

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Using Principles of Composting for Avian Flu Response in British Columbia 2014

John W. Paul, PhD PAg

Transform Compost Systems

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In December 2014, 11 poultry farms in British Columbia were affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu

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7 broiler breeder farms, low ceilings, slats with varying quantities of manure

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Three turkey farms with varying amounts of litter

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One 50,000 bird triple deck cage layer barn with lots of manure

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Summary - Successful Pathogen Inactivation in Barn

• Avian Influenza in birds, litter, eggs and feed were

successfully inactivated together in barn

• Moisture content and C/N ratio do not need to meet

requirements for “composting” – just temperature inactivation – 6 days, then cleanout the barn

• Building trust with, and including producers is key
• Planning, teamwork, and confidence

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In Barn and Out of Barn Composting Protocols Accepted in 2005

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Challenges with outdoor composting in BC

• 40 inches of rain between October and March
• Little available land around poultry farms
• Poultry farms in close proximity to each other – and

to multimillion $ homes

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Principles of Composting – some are important for virus inactivation, others not as much

• Organic material

contains active microbes

• A windrow optimizes

microbial heat development

• Organic material is an

excellent insulator

• A thorough blend

creates the most consistent temperatures

• Optimal moisture

content is 45-60%

• Optimal C/N ratio is

25-35

• Optimal air-filled

porosity is 35-50%

• A combination of

aeration and turning speeds up the process

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Virus Inactivation Doesn’t Have to Follow Theory

• f Composting

The theory What sometimes happens

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Canadian Food Inspection Agency Protocol for inactivation of AI virus Protocol based on a risk hazard assessment that

considers:

• 1. the zoonotic potential of the current virus
• 2. uncertainties regarding the time/temperature

inactivation of the virus

• 3. a safety factor

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Temperature Measurement Protocol

Bottom layer criteria (1.5 feet from the ground): the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval must be 37°C for 6 consecutive days. Top layer criteria (3 feet from the ground): each top layer temperature (inner core) must be 37°C for 6 consecutive days. The measurements at this layer are for validation purposes only.

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Step One – The Assessment

• Amount of birds, eggs, manure and feed

– Sizes of birds, characteristics of manure

• Sizes and types of barns
• Restrictions and obstructions
• Accessibility for trucks and equipment, indoors and out

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Step Two – Creating the Recipe – estimating amounts of carbon, windrow sizes

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Step 3 Making the Plan

The Plan

• What to blend, how to blend it, where to blend it
• Where to place and how to build the windrows
• Type of equipment to use, how to use the equipment
• Amount and type of shavings
• Quality control
• Checklists and plans……

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Step 4 Communicating the Plan – Checklists and Schematics

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Step 5 Communicating the Plan – How to set up the composting windrows

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The Action: Preparing the Space

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The Action: Adding eggs and feed

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The Action: Cleaning and Preparing the space

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The Action: Cleaning and Preparing the space

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The Action: Preparing the Blend

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The Action: Preparing the Shavings Base

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The Action: Building the Windrow

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The Action: Covering the Windrow

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The Completed Windrows

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Measuring Temperatures – 6 Ft long probes

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Temperature Documentation and Signoff

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Summary

• The principles of composting can be successfully

applied for highly pathogenic avian flu

• Further composting must occur to reach a stable

end product – may require recipe change

• Most poultry barns can be accommodated to

allow virus inactivation in barn

• Successful virus inactivation takes teamwork

between the CFIA, the poultry producers, and the contractor.

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Acknowledgements

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency The Individual Poultry Producers Affected The Province of British Columbia The BC Poultry Industry