Research on Poultry Waste in the United States

SUMMARYMany years ago the disposal of poultry waste was not considered a serious problem. Removing manure from the poultry house was a disagreeable chore, but the material was considered an asset rather than a waste product to be got rid of. The manure was useful as a fertilizer and a soil conditioner for farms and gardens.With the development of relatively inexpensive commercial fertilizers, poultry waste is no longer needed for soil enrichment. The process of removing poultry waste from the producing unit and spreading it on the land is more expensive than purchasing and adding commercial fertilizer to the soil. Greater concentration of poultry and egg producing units has resulted in the production of large amounts of waste products near large population centres with limited areas of open land available for dispersal of the material. More and more neighbours are complaining about odours, flies, dust and unsightly manure accumulations associated with poultry producing units.Numerous research projects are being conducted in the United States on the handling of poultry waste. The research has pointed to several solutions to the problems of poultry waste. Incorporation into the soil is still one of the most satisfactory methods of handling waste when adequate land areas are readily available. Much of the research is designed to reduce the disagreeable aspects of poultry waste by minimizing odours, flies, dust and other debris. Odours and flies may be controlled by reducing the moisture content of the manure. Another method is the addition of water using pits or lagoons.Other research is designed to process the waste into useful products. After drying, the poultry waste may be used as greenhouse or house plant soil conditioners. Heat treatment and drying of poultry waste, or using it as a medium for rearing housefly larvae may convert it to a protein supplement for animal feeds, subject to State and national regulations. Re-use of poultry waste as a litter material for poultry floor pens has been satisfactory.The research is being conducted in the laboratories of commercial companies related to the poultry industry, County Health Departments, State Agricultural Experiment Stations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.