Litter conditioner and method of using the same

A litter conditioning vehicle, comprising:

• a chassis;
• a collection system coupled to a front portion of the chassis, the collection system configured to collect litter from a floor of an animal enclosure as the litter conditioning vehicle moves along the floor;
• a conditioning system coupled along a length of the chassis, the conditioning system including an infeed mechanism, a drum, and a heating element, the infeed mechanism configured to receive the litter from the collection system and to provide the litter into an inner volume of the drum, the drum configured to rotate to tumble the litter disposed in the inner volume, the heating element configured to heat the litter as the litter is tumbled in the drum;
• an exhaust system having an exhaust shroud coupled to an output end of the drum and configured to receive a flow of conditioned litter and exhaust heat from the conditioning system, the exhaust system having a blower configured to direct the exhaust heat through the exhaust shroud and toward the floor;
• and
• a dispersement system coupled to a back portion of the chassis, the dispersement system configured to receive conditioned litter from the exhaust shroud and to disperse the conditioned litter on the floor behind the litter conditioning vehicle.

A method of using a litter conditioning vehicle, the method comprising:

• collecting litter from a floor of an animal enclosure via a collection system of the litter conditioning vehicle as the litter conditioning vehicle moves along the floor;
• providing the litter into an inner volume of a drum included in a conditioning system of the litter conditioning vehicle;
• rotating the drum to tumble the litter disposed in the inner volume of the drum;
• transferring thermal energy from a heating element of the conditioning system to the litter as the litter is tumbled in the inner volume of the drum;
• providing a flow of conditioned litter and exhaust heat from an output end of the drum and through at least a portion of an exhaust shroud of an exhaust system;
• directing, via a blower of the exhaust system, the exhaust heat output by the conditioning system toward the floor;
• and
• providing the conditioned litter from the exhaust shroud to a dispersement system, the dispersement system configured to disperse the conditioned litter on a portion of the floor substantially behind the litter conditioning vehicle.