Poultry Litter Management in the Illinois River Watershed of ...

Litter is formed into two rows the length of thepoultry house, with each row being at least 3 to 4 feethigh for best results. With proper conditions, wind ­rowing litter can result in biological activity and heatproduction that partially composts the litter. If theheat production reaches 130ºF in the piles, it canreduce pathogen populations that are a threat to birdhealth. For optimum effectiveness, the rows areturned after 72 hours and allowed to heat a secondtime. Following the second cycle, windrowed litter isredistributed in the house for the next flock of birds.Ideally, temperatures should reach 130ºF both times.Again, it is important to ventilate the house wellafter windrowing to avoid ammonia­induced healthproblems for the next flock of birds. Wind rowingnecessitates a downtime between flocks of at least10 days, with additional days needed to prepare thehouse for the next flock.from the house. Thus, determining the nutrientcontent of litter is an important consideration whenusing litter as a fertilizer. Determining nutrient contentrequires collecting a litter sample either in­housebefore clean­out or from stacked litter after clean­out(Wilson et al., 2006, and Zhang et al., 2011) andsubmitting the sample to the University of ArkansasDiagnostic Testing Laboratory or the OklahomaState University Soil, Water and Forage AnalyticalLaboratory in Oklahoma through your local countyExtension office.Poultry litter that is used in the Arkansas IRW asa fertilizer for pastures, haylands and crop fieldsmust be analyzed for nutrient content every 5 years,as required by state law. In Oklahoma, state lawrequires that litter be analyzed annually. Litter thatis exported off the farm is analyzed each time it ishauled. The nutrient content of litter varies with feedmanagement, which is controlled by the integratorsalong with in­house feeder pan, brood feeding andlitter management, as mentioned above and bySharpley et al. (2009) and Zhang et al. (2011). As feedand litter management can vary from year to year,values used to estimate total nutrient production,current fertilizer value and pricing for markets arebased on the previous year’s litter analyses averagesby bird type. Table 1 lists the averages for 2011 basedon litter analyzed by the University of Arkansas SoilTesting Laboratory and provided by Nathan Slaton,director of the University of Arkansas Division ofAgriculture’s Soil Testing Program.TABLE 1. Mean nutrient content of poultry litter analyzedby the University of Arkansas Diagnostic Testing Laboratoryin 2011 (Slaton, personal communication 2012).Example of windrowed poultry litterBroiler producers utilize one or a combination ofthe practices above for in­house litter managementbetween flocks and typically remove all of the litterfrom the house once per year. Turkey producerstypically remove the cake or remove all of the litterbetween flocks, as their grow­out periods are muchlonger than for broiler chickens. Chicken hen andpullet producers generally remove all of the litterbetween flocks.When birds are present, litter moisture andammonia are managed using heaters and ventilationfans to maintain ideal in­house conditions for birdhealth. Outdoor weather conditions influence themoisture and temperature of the incoming ventilationair and greatly impact the intensity of this management,determining the need for either heating orcooling.Nutrient Content and Fertilizer ValuePoultry litter is not typically managed to increaseits fertilizer value; however, in­house managementdoes affect the nutrient content of litter and its valueas a fertilizer for pastures and crops, when removedBird Type N P 2 O 5 K 2 O%Moisturelb/ton on an as is basisBroiler 64 55 58 25.8Hen 47 60 43 27.0Pullet 49 66 42 26.1Turkey 65 63 49 26.4Similar trends and nutrient contents of poultrylitter were obtained for prior years (Sharpley et al.,2009, and Zhang et al., 2011). Based on averagenutrient content, the value of poultry litter, ascompared to commercial fertilizer prices, can beestimated. Table 2 lists the values as of January 15,2012.TABLE 2. Average value of poultry litter based on itsnutrient content and commercial fertilizer prices from fourfertilizer dealers in Eastern Oklahoma as of January 15,2012.Litter Type N 1 P 2 O 5 K 2 O Total$/ton on an as is basisBroiler $25 $26 $31 $82Hen $19 $29 $23 $71Pullet $19 $32 $22 $73Turkey $26 $30 $26 $821 N value is based on 70% availability.

Management of Poultry LitterRemoved From HousesAverage litter production by bird type isinfluenced by many factors and is most accuratelydocumented based on the quantity removed annuallyas cake and clean­out. Table 3 lists watershed­basedestimates of the annual quantity of litter generatedby bird type and removed from the house. These estimateswere based on the current number of housesprovided by the poultry industry. Average tons oflitter removed per house annually were estimatedfrom data based on individual load weights providedfrom poultry litter trucking companies gathered during2006 through 2011 and compiled by BMPs Inc.TABLE 3. Estimated annual litter production in the IRW(Data compiled by BMPs Inc. from data provided bypoultry litter trucking companies).Avg. TonsRemovedPer HouseAnnuallyTotal TonsRemovedAnnually# HousesBird Type in IRWBroiler 1,133 195 1 220,935Hen 211 120 25,320Pullet 195 100 19,500Turkey breeder 27 75 2,025Turkey growout 53 132 7,000TOTAL 1,606 274,7801 Average tons removed per broiler house annually is the sum of140 tons of clean-out and 55 tons of cake litter.Removed litter that cannot be immediately landapplied or exported from the watershed is stored temporarilyon­site beneath litter stacking sheds, whichkeep litter stored on top of concrete and under coveras a means of containment and keeping the litter dry.Poultry litter stacking sheds provide safe, temporaryon-site storage of litter by keeping the litter dry andcontained. (Nhoto Qourtesy of OiQh MountPinConservPtion DistriQt)Poultry litter is ultimately land applied asfertilizer or exported via trucking out of the watershed.Land application of poultry litter in the IRWin Arkansas and Oklahoma is regulated by statelaws, both requiring analyses of soil and litter todetermine application rates, which minimize the riskof P loss in runoff. Arkansas tracks litter applicationin the IRW through the nutrient managementplanning process, which is supervised by Washingtonand Benton County Conservation Districts. Nutrientmanagement data has been compiled by the ArkansasNatural Resources Commission (ANRC), dating backto 2007, to evaluate the impact of using the ArkansasPhosphorus Index (ARPI) on litter application ratesin the IRW. The index was recently updated and plannersbegan using the newly revised version in 2010.Since 2007, almost 740 nutrient managementplans have been developed, covering 46,920 acres.The average litter application rate prior to the implementationof the revised ARPI was 2.3 tons/acre. Ifall the planned acres received litter at the averagerate, it would amount to 107,920 tons utilized annuallyin the Arkansas portion of the IRW. Starting in2010, the average litter application is 1.6 tons/acreusing the revised ARPI, resulting in 75,080 tonsplanned for application annually in the Arkansasportion of the IRW.Oklahoma tracks litter application in the IRWthrough required records submitted by OklahomaRegistered Poultry Feeding Operations and licensedwaste applicators. Current data is for 2009 and 2010,as compiled by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture,Food and Forestry. Land application of litter inthe Oklahoma IRW dropped from 31,660 tons in 2009to 7,770 tons in 2010.While reductions in litter application rates haveoccurred, it is difficult to create an accurate massbalance due to the difference in the methods used byeach state to collect litter utilization data.Litter Export ProgramIn 2005, the five primary poultry integratorcompanies in Northwest Arkansas committed to theOklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission (OSRC) toexport 202,500 tons out of the IRW over a 3­yearperiod. Thiscommitment wasthe catalyst forthe creation ofthe coordinatedlitter export program,which nowtransports over100,000 tonsannually fromthe IRW. Thislitter is transportedto non­nutrient sensitive watersheds, mainly in Oklahomaand Kansas, for use primarily on cropped fields(Penn et al., 2011).To assist with meeting the commitment to OSRC,both Oklahoma and Arkansas committed EPA 319hfunds to offset a portion of the trucking costs and paypoultry producers for their litter, in the amount of$1.3 million in grants and matching funds. Thegrants were administered by BMPs Inc, a nonprofitcorporation established in 2004 for the purpose of

creating a poultry litter export industry. Followingthe grant projects, ANRC administered an additional$300,000 of federal, state and local funding for theexport program in Arkansas (Fisk, 2009). Throughthis grant funding process, a coordinated, large­scalelitter hauling system was created, including scheduling,marketing and transportation. Although grantsubsidies are no longer available, local independenttrucking companies continue to operate today, transportinglitter in 23­ton capacity semi­trailers. Litterexports are tracked using certified scales to weigheach load.Table 4 summarizes the tonnage documented byindependent haulers and poultry integrators asexported out of the watershed since 2006 and may notbe a total accounting.SummaryTABLE 4. Tons of litter exported outof the IRW (from BMPs Inc.).Year Tons Exported2006 59,5202007 70,9702008 78,6802009 87,9902010 101,6002011 105,750Total 504,510Responses to environmental, legal and livestockproduction concerns, as well as increasing costs ofbedding materials, have resulted in changes topoultry house and poultry litter management.Producers are implementing litter managementpractices to improve the quality of their beddingmaterial. Nutrient management plans are reducingthe maximum litter and therefore P application rates.This, com bined with a successful litter exportprogram, has resulted in a significant reduction inthe amount of litter applied in the watershed.Additional ReadingDaniels, M., B. Haggard and A. Sharpley. 2007. Arkansas watersheds.Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agriculture,University of Arkansas. Fact Sheet FSA9521. 8 pages.Daniels, M., T. Scott, B. Haggard, A. Sharpley and T. Daniel. 2009.What is water quality? Cooperative Extension Service, Divisionof Agriculture, University of Arkansas. Fact SheetFSA9528. 5 pages.Fisk, P. 2009. Litter transport cost­share program.http://www.arkansaswater.org/319/2009_Presentations/PDF/05­1600%20­%20ANRC%20Litter%20Transport.pdf.Accessed May 4, 2012.Lavergne, T. K., M. Stephens, D. Schellinger and W. Carney, Jr.2006. In­house pasteurization of broiler litter. Louisiana StateUniversity Agricultural Center Publication #2955.Macklin, K., G. Simpson, J. Donald and J. Campbell. 2007.Windrow composting of litter to control disease­causingpathogens. The Poultry Engineering, Economics and ManagementNewsletter. Issue 47. 4 pages. U.S. Poultry and Egg andAlabama Poultry and Egg Association.Malone, B. 2007. In­house composting of litter. Delmarva PoultryIndustry, Timely Topics 24(4): 7­8.Payne, J., and H. Zhang. Poultry litter nutrient management:A guide for producers and applicators. Oklahoma CooperativeExtension Service, Division of Agricultural Sciences and NaturalResources, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.E1027. 15 pages. http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document­7962/E­1027.pdfPenn, C., J. Vitale, J. Payne, J. Warren and H. Zhang. 2011.An alternative poultry litter storage technique for improvedhandling, transport, and application: The “Mass ReductionSystems.” Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Serv. PSS­2289.Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. 4 pages.http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document­8111/PSS­2268%20web.pdfPennington, J., M. Daniels and A. Sharpley. 2008. Using thewatershed approach to maintain and enhance water quality.Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agriculture,University of Arkansas. Fact Sheet FSA9526. 8 pages.Sharpley, A., M. Daniels, K. VanDevender, B. Haggard, N. Slatonand C. West. 2010. Using the 2010 Arkansas phosphorusindex. Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agriculture,University of Arkansas. Miscellaneous Publication MP487.17 pages.Sharpley, A., M. Daniels, K. VanDevender and N. Slaton. 2010.Soil phosphorus: Management and recommendations.Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agriculture,University of Arkansas. Fact Sheet FSA1029. 5 pages.Sharpley, A., N. Slaton, T. Tabler, K. VanDevender, M. Daniels,F. Jones and T. Daniel. 2009. Nutrient analysis of poultrylitter. Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agriculture,University of Arkansas. Fact Sheet FSA9529. 6 pages.Sharpley, A., P. Moore, Jr., K. VanDevender, M. Daniels, W. Delp,B. Haggard, T. Daniel and A. Baber. 2010. Arkansas phosphorusindex. Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agriculture,University of Arkansas. Fact Sheet FSA9531. 8 pages.Wilson, M., M. Daniels, N. Slaton, T. Daniel and K. Van Devender.2006. Sampling poultry litter for nutrient content. CooperativeExtension Service, Division of Agriculture, University ofArkansas. Fact Sheet FSA9519. 4 pages.Zhang, H., D. W. Hamilton and J. Payne. 2011. Using poultry litteras fertilizer. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Serv. PSS­2246.Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. 4 pages. http://www.poultrywaste.okstate.edu/files/pss­2246web.pdfPrinted by University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Printing Services.SHERI HERRON is research associate and DR. ANDREWSHARPLEY is professor ­ soil and water quality management withthe Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Department at theUniversity of Arkansas, Fayetteville. DR. SUSAN WATKINS isprofessor ­ poultry specialist with the Center of Excellence forPoultry Science at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.DR. MIKE DANIELS is professor ­ water quality and nutrientmanagement with the Crop, Soil and Environmental SciencesDepartment, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, inLittle Rock.FSA9535­PD­7­12NIssued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Director, Cooperative Extension Service, University ofArkansas. The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers itsprograms to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, nationalorigin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status,or any other legally protected status, and is an AffirmativeAction/Equal Opportunity Employer.