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Waste management has been a concern in poultry operations for many years. Problems with proper storage, handling, management, and utilization of byproducts of production have come to the forefront in planning, establishing, and operating poultry farms. In addition, growers have become sensitive to the potential for nuisance litigation should their farms generate odors, insects and vermin, or runoff that offends neighbors. This publication covers all aspects of solid, semisolid, and liquid poultry waste management, including: manure production and characteristics, environmental regulations and hazards, poultry housing design and waste management, manure storage systems, waste treatment (including composting, anaerobic/facultative lagoons, anaerobic digestion, and incineration), nutrient management, application equipment, dead bird management, and alternative uses for manure (for example, in fertilizers, as ruminant feed, and in compost for growing mushrooms). (1999)

Waste management has been a concern in poultry operations for many years. Problems with storing, handling, managing, and utilizing the byproducts of production have come to the forefront in planning, establishing, and operating poultry farms. Poultry growers have become sensitive to potential nuisance litigation should their farms generate odors, problems with insects and vermin, leachate, or runoff that offends neighbors or poses a risk to the environment. A new book published by the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) was written to aid growers and their advisors in designing and implementing effective waste management plans for poultry operations. The Poultry Waste Management Handbook, NRAES-132 ($16.00 plus S&H/sales tax, 72 pages, September 1999) covers all aspects of solid, semi-solid, and liquid poultry waste management - from manure production to utilization. The publication will be a valuable resource for producers, cooperative extension educators, manure management consultants, regulatory agencies, and soil and water conservation district staff.

The Poultry Waste Management Handbook contains nine chapters that cover the following topics: manure production and characteristics; environmental regulations and hazards; poultry housing and waste management; manure storage within and outside of the poultry house (including solids systems and liquid, slurry, and semi-solid systems); waste treatment and utilization (such as composting, anaerobic lagoons, aerobic digestion, and direct incineration); nutrient management; application equipment (from solids handling equipment to irrigation systems); dead bird management (rendering, composting, and incineration); and alternative uses for manure. The nutrient management chapter explains the steps involved in developing a nutrient management plan and contains worksheets for estimating nitrogen availability and application rates. The chapter on application equipment reviews equations and procedures for calibrating various types of equipment. Forty-three illustrations and 14 tables supplement the text.

The Poultry Waste Management Handbook was written by Eldridge R. Collins, Jr., Professor and Extension Agricultural Engineer, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; James C. Barker, Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State University; Lewis E. Carr, Ph.D., Instructor-Agricultural Engineering, Department of Biological Resources Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park; Herbert L. Brodie, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biological Resources Engineering, University of Maryland at College Park; and John H. Martin, Jr., Former Associate Professor, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware.

The Poultry Waste Management Handbook, NRAES-132, is available for $16.00 per copy plus shipping and handling from NRAES, Cooperative Extension, PO Box 4557, Ithaca, New York 14852-4557. Shipping and handling for one copy is $4.25 within the continental United States. New York State residents, add sales tax (calculated on both the cost of publications and the shipping and handling charges. Click here for more information). If ordering more than one book or if ordering from outside the United States, contact NRAES for shipping rates and possible quantity discounts. Orders from outside the United States must be prepaid in U.S. funds. All major credit cards are accepted, and checks should be made payable to NRAES. For more information or a free publication catalog, contact NRAES by phone at (607) 255-7654, by fax at (607) 254-8770, or by e-mail at nraes@cornell.edu. To learn more about NRAES, browse through our entire catalog, and order books on-line, visit our web site at www.nraes.org.

List of Figures

List of Tables

Introduction: Preliminary Considerations

Chapter 1: Manure Production and Characteristics

Manure Defined
Moisture Considerations
Litter Considerations
Nutrient Considerations
Sampling and Testing

Chapter 2: Environmental Regulations and Hazards

Background
Environmental and Regulatory Setting
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning
Watershed Planning
Political Boundaries and Regulations
Local Regulations
Private Regulation
Regulatory Trends in the Livestock Industry

Chapter 3: Poultry Housing and Waste Management

Chapter 4: Manure Storage

Solid Manure Storage Systems
Manure Storage within the Poultry House
Manure Storage outside the Poultry House
Permanent Facilities
Permanent Structures versus Temporary Covering
Spontaneous Combustion and Fire Protection
Liquid, Slurry, and Semi-Solid Manure Storage
Maintenance

Chapter 5: Waste Treatment and Utilization

Composting
Principles
Compost Mixtures
Process Monitoring
Compost Use
Other Considerations
Anaerobic Lagoons
Design Principles
Pros and Cons
Lagoon Construction
Lagoon Management
Aerobic Digestion
Principles
Energy Use
Advantages and Disadvantages
Direct Incineration

Chapter 6: Nutrient Management

Farm Nutrient Balance
Limiting Nutrient
Farm Nutrient Management Plans
Determine Animal/Poultry Density
Analyze Feed and Balance Diets
Determine the Amount of Manure Produced and Collected
Analyze Manure to Determine Nutrient Content
Estimate Nutrient Availability in Manure
Select a Crop Rotation and Cultural Practices that Maximize Nutrient Harvesting
Test Soil to Determine Crop Nutrient Requirements
Conduct a Hydrologic and Seasonal Evaluation
Determine Storage Requirement
Manage Fertilizer
Practice Good Soil and Water Conservation
Do Not Overfeed or Overfertilize
Nutrient Availability and Recovery
Land Application Program
Nutrients Collected
Nutrient Loss
Other Additions to the Nitrogen Pool
Determining Rate of Application
Worksheet I: Estimating the Amount of Nitrogen Available for Crop Production
Worksheet II: Estimating a Rate of Application

Chapter 7: Application Equipment

Solid and Semi-Solid Handling Equipment
Bucket Loaders, Scrapers, and Rototillers
Crusters/Housekeepers
Box-Type Manure Spreaders
Side-Delivery Flail Spreader
Side-Delivery Expeller Spreader
Spinner Spreader
Calibration of Solid Spreaders
Liquid Handling Equipment
Slurry/Sludge Pumps
Tank Spreaders
Calibration of Liquid Spreaders
Solids Separators and Settling Basins
Irrigation Systems
Irrigation Pumps
Irrigation Pipe
Irrigation Equipment
Calibration of Irrigation Systems
Salt Formation on Wastewater Pumping Equipment

Chapter 8: Dead Bird Management

Rendering Poultry Mortality Losses
Composting Routine Poultry Mortality Losses
Applying Composting Principles to Catastrophic Poultry Mortalities
Safety in Composting
Incineration of Mortality
Good Incinerator Design
Incinerator Location
Incinerator Costs

Chapter 9: Alternative Uses for Manure

Processed Fertilizer
Ruminant Feed
Mushroom Compost

Selected References

Suggested Readings