UNIVERISTY PARK - The use of broiler or turkey litter as a solid fuel source has received little attention. Primary attention has been directed ot the use of broiler and turkey litter as a fertilizer Poultry litter can be used to replace or supplement organic fertilizer for the production of crops and provide a source of minor plant nutrients. While the recycling of poultry litter as a fertilizer to conserve nutrients is an admirable ob jective, the concentration of animal units per tillable acre in the area containing Pennsylvania’s broiler and turkey industries has increased to the point that alter natives to application on adjacent land msut be explored. The alternative to land ap plication of poultry litter most often discussed is the production of methane. Methane represents a fossil fuel replacement which can be burned as a heat source or used to power an internal combustion engine, most often for the generation of electricity. Fuel potential of poultry litter Because the fertilizer value of the effluent from emthane generation is not reduced, the production of emthane from poultry litter to serve as a fossil fuel replacement is an attractive alternative The fact that the fertilizer value of the effluent from methane production is not reduced means that methane generation is not a true alternative to land application for animal wastes. Methane production results in an in termediate product which can increase the potential value of the original poultry litter as a fer tilizer. True alternatives to land ap plication of poultry litter in areas of concentrated animal units in clude transporting the animal waste or methane digester effluent to other geographic areas where the material could safely be used as a fertilizer, or finding uses that do not include land disposl. Evaluation of potential uses must be carefully reviewed to make sure that they are true alternatives to land application and do not represent, as does methane, an intermediate product ultimately requiring land ap plication. When moving poultry litter to other geographic areas for land application, transportation and handling costs are reduced with a management system that produces a dry, concentrated product. The effluent of methane generation does not produce this type of product. Solid fuel One method which eliminates most of the need for land disposla is the utilization of broiler and turkery litter as a solid fuel. Litter from a properly managed poultry house is a dry product, ap proximatley 20-30% moisture, which can be stored with a minimum of facilities until needed. Unlike methane which, for all practical purposes, must be utilized as produced, litter as a solid fuel can be easily stored until needed. FORMAN'S GRAIN & FERTILIZER Liquid & Dry - Custom Spreading CHEMICALS STORMOR GRAIN SYSTEMS Savings You Can Plan On! HENRY FORMAN: 717-649-5579 J.L. "BEN" HERR: 717-649-5444 JOHN HOFFMAN: 717-784-7011 ERNIE UNDERWOOD: 717-784-4630 Beaver Run Road, R.D. 1, Box 78 Turbotville, PA 17772 See UsAtAq Progress toys Located In Loads Groin Equipment Exhibit Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 17,1985-F9 Research indicates that 20-30% moisture poultry litter has a net heat value of approximately 3500 BTU’s per pound. This value will vary depending upon the type of litter material and the moisture content. Thus, 18 pounds of average poultry litter will contain the net heat value found in each gallon of LP gas. At the present fuel value, poultry litter has a net heat value of approximately $75.00 per ton. This is about twice the value of poultry litter as a replacement for the nutrients in commercial fertilizer. When using the calculated value as a criterion for evaluating alternative uses of poultry litter, the value should be determined at the point of use. The alternative which includes transporting poultry litter from areas of concentrated animal units to other geographic areas for land application should be evaluated on the value of poultry litter as a replacement for the nutrients in commercial fertilizer at the point of application It is becoming increasingly apparent that the concentration of animal units per tillable acres in some geographic areas has in creased to the point that alter natives to the application of animal nutrients on adjacent land must be evaluated. As ecologically sound alter natives are evaluated, one ob jective should be to maximize the return to the producer. The “best” alternative could vary between types of animals and even among producers of the same class of animals. The alternatives evaluated must not exclude non-traditional uses usch as the bunng of poultry litter. The burning of broiler and turkey litter for energy is a potentially high economic return alternative because such use would replace non-renewable fossil fuels. A LESSON WELL LEARNED... LANCASTER FARMING'S CLASSIFIED ADS GET RESULTS! Phone: 717-394-3047 or 717-626-1164
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