Dead Poultry Composting

Composting

Composter Size

Capacity of the first-stage composter bins in cubic feet = 0.0025 x Final bird weight x Farm capacity per cycle.

Example: What capacity of first-stage composter bins in cubic feet is required for a poultry grower with a 100,000-head capacity farm with final bird weight of 4.2 pounds (Table 1)?

Table 1. Number of First-Stage Composter Bins Required Based on Number of Broilers on Hand (Based on 4.2 lb. Bird)

Farm Capacity	Required Cubic Feet for First-Stage Bins	No. of First-Stage Bins (5' x 5' x 8')	Required Cubic Feet for Second-Stage Bins
20,000	210	1	210
40,000	420	2	420
60,000	630	3	630
80,000	840	4	840
100,000	1,050	5	1,050
120,000	1,260	6	1,260

First-stage capacity in cubic feet = 0.0025 x 100,000 x 4.2 = 1,050 cubic feet.

Field studies have shown that at least 1 cubic foot of secondary composting bin is necessary for each cubic foot of first-stage or primary-bin capacity.

Composter Operation

Daily Operation

Table 2. Formula for Dead Poultry Composting

Materials	Parts by Weight
Dead poultry	1
Chicken manure	2 to 3
Straw (wheat)	1/10
Water (add sparingly)	0 to ½

Weigh the elements in buckets on scales the first day. On subsequent days, a loader can be used once the weight of a full loader/bucket is determined for each element except water. One gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds. Or, use a hose to deliver the correct amount of water based on a percolation test (the time necessary to deliver the required gallons through the hose).

Place at least 12 inches of poultry litter on the concrete floor of the first-stage composter bin. Place a layer of straw on top of the manure to allow oxygen under the poultry. Add a layer of dead poultry; apply water; cover poultry with another layer of manure, followed by another layer of straw. Then add water to satisfy the formula. The final cap is two layers of manure placed over the poultry. Do notadd water to this final cap. See figure 1 for details. Note: 400 pounds of dead poultry will require the following:

• 800 pounds cake or manure
• 40 pounds straw (one bale)
• 50 gallons water

(Water should be applied to each solid element during the layering process. This will allow the solid elements to soak up the required amount of water. Use water sparingly.)

During the composting process, the volume of the mass will reduce 25 to 30 percent. This will enable the operator to add more material to the top of the bin.

Ideally, the composter will be sized so that the average day's mortality will equal one layer of dead poultry in the primary bin. Each subsequent day, layer the dead poultry and other elements in the bin (manure, poultry, straw).

Monitoring the Composter

If a front-end loader moves the material, the bucket can be raised high enough to allow the material to drop into the secondary unit and, thus, improve aeration and mixing. The temperature in the secondary bin will rise as beneficial bacterial activity begins and will peak in 5 to 10 days. Monitor the temperature in stage 2 just as in the primary stage.

The final step is to store the pasteurized compost in a manure storage shed, or pile it outside, covered with plastic. During the planting season, apply compost directly to the land and work it into the soil, using the same guidelines as applied to poultry manure.

Loading and managing a composter sized for a broiler farm having a 100,000- to 130,000-bird capacity takes about 20 minutes a day. This average does not include the time necessary to pick up the dead poultry.

Sample Design

Roof: While some materials may be composted in the open, this does not work well with dead bird composts. A roof ensures year-round operation and controls rain water and percolation, which can be major problems.

Foundation: An impervious, weight-bearing foundation (concrete) is critical to all-weather operation. A concrete foundation secures the composter against rodents, dogs, and other animals, and prevents contamination of the surrounding area.

Building materials: Specify pressure-treated lumber or other rot-resistant materials as they resist the biological activity of composting.

Figures 2 and 3 provide a general layout of a typical freestanding farm composter. It is recommended that raw litter storage space be built into the composter.

The cost of materials for construction of the composter, including the concrete pad, ranges from $3,000 to $5,000. Total cost depends on composter size, which is based on flock size and the cost of labor to construct the unit.

Land Application of Compost

The nutrient content of the compost will vary depending upon the amount and nutrient content of the manure and straw, the age of the compost, and the method of storage. Compost samples analyzed by the University of Delaware had the following average analysis on an "as sampled basis":

Moisture .................................... 28%

Nitrogen (total )....................... 1.85%         ammonium nitrogen.........0.15%         organic nitrogen...............1.70%

P2O5 ........................................ 2.29%

K2O .......................................... 1.56%

A ton of compost provides 37 pounds of nitrogen (N), 46 pounds of phosphate (P₂O₅), and 31 pounds of potash (K₂O). Because of variation in nutrient composition of composts, regular analyses for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and micronutrients are desirable.

Land application of compost or any poultry waste, like application of fertilizer, must balance nutrient content with the crop nutrient needs based on regular soil tests and realistic yield goals. The greatest problem in land application of organic wastes is overapplication. This is not only wasteful of potential plant nutrients, but it can also result in excessive levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in soils. Nutrients not taken up by plants can be lost to groundwater by leaching, or to surface water through runoff.

To avoid excessive nutrient application, apply compost based on the nitrogen need of the crop. Nitrogen in compost is not as readily available as nitrogen in fresh poultry litter because more is in the organic form and less in the ammonium and urea form. Refer to Extension publications ANR-0244 and ANR-0244-A, "The Value and Use of Poultry Manure as Fertilizer" and its "Worksheet," for help in calculating application rates based on the analysis. In general, 50 to 65 percent of the total nitrogen will be available during the growing season in which it is applied. Assume 75 percent of the phosphate and potash will be available.

Apply compost as close to planting as possible for row crops and annual crops, and incorporate with normal soil tillage operations. For perennial summer grass pastures and hayfields (bermudagrass and bahiagrass), apply in early spring and again in early summer if additional growth is needed. For cool-season perennial grass pastures and hayfields (fescue and orchardgrass), make early fall and early spring applications. Based on the average analysis given earlier and assuming 65 percent of the nitrogen will be available during the season, the following application rates are suggested (Table 3).

Table 3. Suggested Application Rates of Dead Bird Compost

Crop	Time of Application	Tons of Compost per Acre
Corn (unirrigated)	prior to planting	4.3
Cotton	prior to planting	3.2
Small grains (grain)	prior to fall planting topdressing in late winter	1.0 2.2
Small grains (forage) and      temporary winter grazing	prior to fall planting topdressing in late winter	3.6 2.2
Summer pasture (bermuda, bahia)	early spring early summer	2.2* 2.2*
Cool-season pasture      (fescue, orchardgrass)	early fall late winter	2.2 2.2
*Add one extra ton for hay production

J.O. Donald, Extension Agricultural Engineer, Professor, Agricultural Engineering, Charles C. Mitchell, Extension Agronomist, Professor, Agronomy and Soils, and Vic Payne, Environmental Engineer, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.