Burning Broiler litter
(Continued from Page Al)
form, broiler as well as turkey
litter, composed of sawdust,
shavings and manure, have proven
to be readily combustible. And
there are enough potential BTU’s
in Lancaster County’s 45 million
broiler chickens to pump a
significant amount of low-cost heat
energy back into county farms.
The broiler houses themselves
are in need of supplemental heat,
Muir points out. The normal grow
out period is seven weeks, with
heat required for two to three
weeks of that time, depending on
outside temperatures. Since only
about one-half of the litter from a
flock is needed to provide heat for
the next flock, the poultry scientist
notes that broiler-produced heat
could also be used for drying grain
or heating other farm buildings.
Muir also points out that the
availability of lower cost heat
might even improve the broiler
industry’s efficiency. “If we had a
fuel source less costly, we might
put more heat into that (broiler)
building, which should improve the
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Lawrenceville, NJ
609-799-0050
READING BONE
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Reading, PA
215-375-4454
American Cyanamid Company
performance of the birds,” he
speculates.
Muir’s incineration project is
located on the John Noss farm near
East Waterford in Juniata County.
The incinerator itself is a con
verted wood furnace, stoked
automatically with broiler litter
from a 600-pound capacity
cylindrical hopper that fuels the
furnace for about 12 hours.
A flex auger transports the litter
through a 5-inch diameter PVC
pipe to the top of the furnace, and a
photoelectric cell shuts down the
auger when the litter rises to a
level in the furnace that breaks the
beam. Heated water is piped into
the bottom floor of the 40-by-120-
foot broiler house where it cir
culates through a 43-by-60-inch
radiator. A 26,000-cfm fan drives
air through the radiator and
throughout the house. Muir figures
the unit should heat two of the
building’s three floors.
Though the system shows
promise, there are some bugs to be
ironed out. At present most of the
problems center around the fuel
COUNTERHAS
LOCAL SERVICE As your friends
MELVIN R.
WEAVER
Lancaster, PA
717-569-6576
feed system. A stray rock can stop
the auger, and the litter itself must
be at the proper moisture level to
move freely through the conduit.
Even though the litter will bum
properly at up to 40 percent
moisture, says Muir, it fails to feed
properly at moisture levels above
30 to 35 percent.
The poultry expert also points
out that more research needs to be
done on the by-products of the
combustion process. Muir con
cedes that he knows little about
what’s going up the flue, although
he knows nitrogen is certainly one
of the components, since it does not
remain in the ash. The ash is high
in phosphorus and potassium and
could prove valuable as a fer
tilizer.
And with phosphorus being a
relatively expensive component in
the birds’ diet, Muir believes the
litter ash might be put to good use
as a feed ingredient for both layers
and broilers.
Muir figures it will be a few more
years until incineration will be a
viable alternative for disposing of
broiler, as well as turkey litter.
Meanwhile, broiler production is
expected to increase 6 percent this
year, on top of a 5-percent increase
JAMES H.
PATCHES
Myerstown, PA
717-949-3860
R & K AGRi
SERVICE
Lancaster, PA
717-299-2541
1987 American Cyanamid Company
Muir’s converted wood furnace burns about 50 pounds of
broiler litter an hour. In seven weeks grow-out period broilers
will have produced enough litter to warm up two incoming
flocks for required two to three weeks.
! 8- ianagement specialist Mitch Woodward
check heat coining from litter-powered radiator in broiler
house.
in 1986. Even more dramatic is the K Forest Muir’s incinerators
turkey industry’s projected 15 ever do find employment on
percent expansion on the heals of a Pennsylvania farms, it’s not likely
1986 production increase of 14 that they’ll suffer from frequent
percent. lay-offs.
Officers Elected In Somerset Local
j,,,: 7 mire, Rockwood, secretary/
meeting here at the oakhm4S sSS£
—asr • ■
ATTENTION FARMERS
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charge.
Located in Mifflintown, PA j
717-436-8272
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