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The objective of this work was to characterize two different types of broiler litter material (coffee husks and wood shavings) that are commonly used in the Brazilian poultry industry within the State of Minas Gerais, and to evaluate the effect of their reuse on flock performance and physical and sanitary qualities of the litter. A second objective was to determine if the optimal number of reuses, based a sanitary point of view, matches that used for litter field composting, according to the results obtained by Marn (2011). The study was conducted with litter from 32 different broiler houses. Variables measured included litter moisture content, pH level, the incidence of foot pad dermatitis in birds, the sanitary quality through assessments to identify the bacteria Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., and productive performance of birds.