ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES The Value and …

1 A L A B A M A A & M A N D A U B U R N U N I V E R S I T I E S. The Value and Use of ANR-244 poultry Manures as Fertilizer P oultry manure , properly han- dled, is the most valuable of all manures produced by live- while a house is cleaned, number of batches consecutively reared, and conditions under which the when excreted. However, broiler litter dries under normal house conditions and will average about stock. It has historically been used manure was stored and handled 20 percent moisture. Caged layer as a source of plant nutrients and prior to spreading. ALABAMA broil- manure is much more variable de- as a soil amendment.

2 However, in er litter is less variable than caged pending upon the storage system. areas of intense poultry produc- layer manure . Because manures and litter are tion, overfertilization of pasture Between and pound spread by the ton as they are re- land with poultry manure occurs. of litter is produced per pound The result is suspected ground of market weight. Because broil- water and surface water problems er production has become more Table 1. Average Nutrient as excess nutrients run off the efficient in recent years, there is Composition Of ALABAMA land or leach into ground water less waste produced per pound of Broiler Litter On A Fresh supplies.

3 Market weight than 10 years ago Weight Basis. To obtain maximum economic when the Value was around 1 Weighted Value of plant nutrients in poultry pound of litter per pound of mar- Meana manure and to protect our water ket weight. The decrease in waste supplies from excessive nutrient per pound is due to drier litter Number of samples runoff or leaching, poultry manure (less than 20 percent moisture Moisture, % should be applied to match nutri- compared to more than 30 per- ent needs of crops. cent 10 years ago), improved feed Primary Plant Nutrients conversion, and more birds on Total N, % Nutrient Analysis Of less bedding.

4 Layer manure is highly vari- P2O5, % K2O, % Broiler Litter able because each operation col- Two basic types of poultry lects, stores, and handles manure Secondary Plant Nutrients wastes are produced in ALABAMA : differently. Nutrient content in Ca, % broiler litter and caged layer ma- broiler litter and layer manure Mg, % nure. Broiler litter, for the purpos- from different sources and surveys S, % es of fertilization, includes all is reported in Tables 1 and 2. floor-type birds such as broilers, Caged layer manure generally Micronutrients pullets, and floor layers. Bedding contains between 1 and 2 percent Cu, ppm 332.

5 Material such as wood shavings or N on a fresh weight basis (4 to 7 Fe, ppm 1,950. peanut hulls is used to absorb liq- percent on a dry weight basis) if Mn, ppm 277. uids. Caged layer manure is usual- collected at 1- to 3-week intervals. ly free from litter material and However, under high-rise houses Zn, ppm 252. generally has a higher moisture where layer manure sometimes B, ppm 55. content. Both types of waste will accumulates for long periods of Other Analyses contain feathers and some wasted time, some N is lost into the air as feed. ammonia gas. At the same time, As, ppm Chemical analysis of either manure dries which increases con- Ash, % type of manure varies due to centration of all nutrients.

6 AWeighted mean is calculated from moisture, temperature (more N Moisture is the most important four separate surveys conducted in will be lost at higher tempera- variable to consider when manure ALABAMA from the mid-1980s through tures), amount and kind of bed- is spread by the ton. manure will 1993. The surveys included a total of 207 samples. ding, amount of soil picked up average 70 to 77 percent moisture Table 2. Nutrient Composition Of Fresh, Caged Layer manure . Pennsylvaniaa Pennsylvaniab ALABAMA North Carolinac caged layers caged layers caged layers fresh scraped high rise Moisture, % 60 50 70 . Primary Plant Nutrients Total N, % P2O5, % K2O, % Secondary Plant Nutrients Ca, % Mg, % S, % Micronutrients Cu, ppm 15 18 22.

7 Fe, ppm 450 260 900. Mn, ppm 150 135 260. Zn, ppm 150 160 185. B, ppm 20 25 23. Na, % aPatterson, P. H., 1994. Estimating manure production based on nutrition and production: Laying hens. Proc. 1994 poultry Waste Management Symp. pp. 90-96. bShipp, R. F., H. C. Jordan, W. W. Hinish, and D. B. Beegle. 1981. Spec. Cir. 274. The Pennsylvania State Univ. College of Agri- culture, Extension Service. University Park, PA. cZublena, J. P., J. C. Barker, and T. A. Carter. 1993. poultry manure as a fertilizer source. North Carolina Coop. Ext. Serv. Soil Facts. Raleigh, NC. moved from the house or from Ammonium N. The ammoni- able for crop uptake as the ma- storage, analyses should be com- um N fraction (NH4-N) is subject nure decomposes (mineralizes).

8 Pared on a fresh weight basis. to conversion to ammonia gas Mineralization rates can range (NH3) and atmospheric loss from 40 to 90 percent depending Nutrient Availability (volatilization). When manure has a strong ammonia odor or is on environmental conditions. For broiler litter in ALABAMA , assume poultry manure is managed spread on the surface of a soil and that 60 percent of the organic N. primarily for its nitrogen (N) not incorporated, significant N will may be released during the first Value . However, N availability be lost to the air. Losses typically year following application. There- from broiler litter is the most diffi- range from 15 to 50 percent of the fore, around 70 percent of the cult of the three primary nutrients ammonium fraction (5 to 20 per- total N in broiler litter will be to predict.)

9 About one-third of the cent of total N) when broiler litter available to the crop the first year total N in broiler litter is in the is surface applied. If layer manure after application. ammonium form (NH4-N) and the is spread as a liquid or slurry, as Phosphorus (P) And Potas- rest is in an organic form. The much as 75 percent of the ammo- sium (K). The P and K fractions amount of N available for plant nium N (one-fourth of total N) are considered to be about 75 per- uptake is ammonium nitrogen could be lost within 7 days after cent as effective as commercial plus the amount of organic nitro- spreading when the weather is hot fertilizers during the first year of gen that mineralizes during the and dry and manure is not soil- application.

10 If litter is applied at growing season. incorporated. Of course, incorpo- rates that will supply all N needed From Table 1, broiler litter has ration is not practical or even de- by the crop, P and K applications the following average nutrient sirable in some situations such as greater than those needed by the content: pastures or hay fields, and ammo- crop may occur. Under frequent Fertilizer grade: 3-3-2 nium N loss should be deducted manure applications, P will build (N-P2O5-K2O) from the total amount to be ap- up in soils to extremely high lev- Total nutrients ( ): 60-60-40 plied. els. Potassium may also build up Available nutrients first Organic N.