Windrower machine

An apparatus for creating windrows from poultry litter, comprising:

• a) a frame selectively attached to a prime mover for urging said frame through at least one layer of poultry litter previously accumulated on an underlying surface, said frame supporting a substantially vertically oriented backstop, said backstop including a blade for engaging said at least one layer of poultry litter proximate said underlying surface to lift a portion of said previously accumulated poultry litter;
• b) first and second rotationally driven shafts mounted on said frame extending along parallel horizontal axes at a height above said underlying surface and proximate said vertically oriented backstop, each of said rotationally driven shafts having at least one radially extending member oriented substantially helically there along, said first and second rotationally driven shafts spaced apart from each other by less than the diameter of said radially extending members with said radially extending members overlapping in intermeshing relationship to create a shearing effect on poultry litter carried there between and urging said poultry litter laterally along said vertically oriented backstop to discharge said poultry litter into windrows;
• and
• c) a grill guard associated with a first end of the first rotationally driven shaft and extending laterally beyond said backstop, said grill guard including fixed extensions spaced apart from one another and from the end of the first shaft so as to disrupt and deflect larger clumps of said poultry litter as said poultry litter is urged outwardly by rotation of the first shaft and the second shaft,
• wherein said blade extends lower than the at least one radially extending member on either of said first and second rotationally driven shafts to lift the portion of said previously accumulated poultry litter and to urge the lifted portion of said poultry litter to interact with said radially extending members.