Waste Management
Commercial manure storage facility
Ohio State University Fact Sheet
An acceptable system of disposal for dead birds is essential to any well run poultry farm operation. Moreover, Virginia law requires that poultry producers have an approved means for disposing of dead birds. There are generally two categories of disposal problems: (1) Normal mortality, which is typically about 0.1 percent per day, but fluctuations up to 0.25 percent per day are not uncommon, and (2) Whole flock disposal. Author: Eldridge R. Collins, Jr., Extension Agricultural Engineer, VA Tech.
An egg layer operation can successfully initiate composting as a means of managing dead birds by using the ingredient ratios with straw or hay as noted in Table 1. Once a supply of secondary compost is generated, this compost can be recycled as an ingredient to replace both manure and straw as noted by the recipe in Table 2. Water may need to be added because of the dry nature of recycled compost.
Part of power point and notes from by U of Idaho course material very well done presentation.
Nice publication from NC ST
MSU Extension
Application of livestock and poultry manure on land has been a time-honored, convenient disposal method that benefits the soil system. Overall, Virginia agriculture uses more than a million tons of chemical fertilizer nitrogen (N) annually. Manures can provide about 45% of this amount, or about 28% after allowing for storage and handling losses. The amount of loss depends on the method of handling and management involved. In recent years, large concentrations of poultry on small parcels of land have made the manure disposal problem more critical. When nutrients from manure, or commercial fertilizers, exceed the ability of crops to utilize them, surface runoff and groundwater pollution problems develop. This leaflet will outline management steps to take advantage of the fertilizer value of your manure and litter while minimizing potential damage to Virginia's water resources. Author: Eldridge R. Collins, Jr., Extension Agricultural Engineer, VA Tech.
