Composting Is Possible Solution To Dead Bird Disposal BY USA RISSER LANCASTER Disposal of dead birds is a growing concern among poultry producers. Con ventional methods are becoming too costly, inefficient, and envir onmentally suspect Composting was the solution discussed at Poultry Progress Day last week by George Chaloupka, director of the University of Dela ware’s Research and Education Center. Composting is currently being explored by industry researchers in the Delmarva area. The goals of the project, which is being carried out by the Univer sity of Delaware, University of Delaware extension, and Universi ty of Maryland, were to find a sys tem that worked \yith a normal, year-’tound, mortality rate; fit a farmer’s budget and into his daily work routine; was odorless and didn’t attract flies; and produced a good fertilizer. A shed was built that would handle 1,000 pounds of dead birds per day, an amount which would suit the needs of a producer with a flock of 150,000 to 250,000 birds. The raw materials for the com post included straw, cake chicken manure, dead birds, and water. The amounts used, in layering order, were 1 part chicken carcasses, IVi parts cake manure, 1 part straw, and 1 part water. Before filling a section, a 6- to 12-inch layer of manure was spread on the concrete floor to absorb excess water. The birds were weighed prior to composting Texas Charolais Show Champion Is Dempsey Daughter, High-Rise Son HOUSTON. Tx. Good weather, a great crowd and a strong 97-head show combined for a successful conclusion to Charolais activities held in con junction with the Houston Lives tock Show & Rodeo in Houston, Texas, Myron Graff of Osceola, lowa, judged the 57 females and 40 bulls led out on Febmary 24 in the American-International Char olais Association (AICA) Roll of Excellence show. In the bull show, Graff selected an entry from Triple R Ranch of Franklinton, N.C., and Fox Hol low Farm of Tulsa, Okla. The bull, FH-RRR Sequoia 148, is an April 3,1988, son of Silver Creek High- Rise. He stood as grand and junior calf champion bull. The reserve grand and intermediate champion bull was LK Colorado Cowboy 7135. The 1987 son of BR-MF Krugerrand T 752 was exhibited by Dewey Charolais Ranch of Cimarron, Kan., and Thomas Ranch of Harold. S.D. Perfections Tally II £T, shown by Willard Walker of Springdale, Ark., stepped into the champion’s circle as grand and senior calf champion female. She is a 1987 daughter of BR-MK Krugerrand T 752. Retherford Ranch of Pre scott, Ariz., and Shallow Creek Charolais of MadisonviUe, Texas, exhibited the reserve grand and senior champion female, Yava’s Elaine 702. The female is a 1987 daughter of Roxy’s Jack Dempsey 63R. Other champions in the bull show included the reserve junior calf champion. Omega Pontiac 8026 X ET. a March 4. 1988, son of BR-MF KrugcrraYit T 752 ojvn ed by Christine R. Simmons’ind Omega Farms of Williamston, Mich. The senior calf champion so that the other amounts could be determined. Within seven to 10 days later, once the internal temperature had reached 140 to 165 degrees and started to drop, the pile was moved to a second confinement area for reheating. This activity mixed up the compost and added oxygen, both necessary to the composting process. About one week later the compost was ready for spreading or storage. The project’s researchers found that the cost of the shed, complete with concrete slab, was $5,000, a FH-RRR Sequoia 148, an April son of Silver Creek High Rise, was selected as grand champion of the Charolals Show at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. The owners of Sequoia are Triple R Ranch of Franklinton, N.C., and Fox H ' F r M T Okl The grand champion female of the Charolals Show at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo was Perfections Tally II ET, a senior calf. Tally Is owned by Willard Walker of Spring* dale, Ark. was BCC El Padre 679, a 1987 senior calf champion was BAB son of BR-MF Krugerrant T 752 Tuibocharger W4B ET, a 1987 son owned by. Bragg Cattle Co. of of WC Highstyle 5053 P owned by Harlingen. Texas. The reserve (Tum t 0 Page D 4) figure that would change depend ing on the building’s size. The fanner, using a skid steer loader, spent about 20 minutes a day working with the compost exclud ing time spent in collecting the dead birds. » The final product was a compost that contained little evidence of its original materials, with the excep tion of a few feathers and bones. It was odorless and didn’t attract flies. Organisms such as E. coli and salmonella didn’t survive the process. Research is continuing on the composting process to find out the compost’s nutrient content, other sources df carbon, and marketing options. HOT WEATHER AND THE BROILER HOUSE BY FOREST MUIR chloric acid. This can be prepared Professor of Poultry Science ** dUutin 8 co “ Bird comfort is extremely pool muriaticacid 3:1 with water. important for maintaining produc- Dl,aß r the !“ d ‘1 container. DO NOT USE A MET AL CONTAINER. WARNING: ACID IS CAUSTIC - DO NOT servicing the ventilation system nr nvee m/mttu ad /-wt and servicing or installing a mis- IN EYES. MOUTH OR ON ting evaporative cooling system, skin. SERVICING THE * remove nozzles from solution VENTILATION SYSTEM and rinae with water jnj ets - replace nozzles. Inlet openings are the entry „ ' service the pump in accor point of fresh afr into the poultry dance Wl ? , the manufacture s house. The air intake openings recommendation. v should be covered with screening . y° u have not m . staUed a mi ?- of a size that will prevent wild U"g evaporative cooling system m birds from entering the building. W* broder house andare c u ons f ld - The ventilation fans should enng such an mstaUation, the fol always be pulling air through this l° win g is suggested as a guide, screening. Thus, dust, feathers or ' a water s u PPly ® addition to other debris caught by the screen- tbat required for drinking pur ing will not normally fall away. P? ses wdl n^- Tbe quanuty They only serve as obstructions to °/ water required for the evapora entrap additional material. This Uve Can screening should be cleaned and mated by dividing the square foot maintained dust free to allow a B e °‘ tbe , house by 200. The maximum air flow when needed. answer estimates the gallons of p ans water needed per hour. Fans are the heart of the ventila- ’ the misdng system should be tion system. Establish a regular operated at a pressure of 200 psi to schedule for servicing the fans produce a water particle size during the summer months. Prop- nee ded *® r ra P ld evaporation. This er maintenance can increase the necessates a booster pump capable air delivery capacity of a fan by as increasing normal line pressure much as 30-40 percent. Proper fan to the desired 200 psi. maintenance includes: .* a mesh filter should be - checking to make certain all installed to prevent particles from fans are operational and have been ' entering the misting system and lubricated if required. plugging the nozzles. - cleaning the fan blades, ori- - a pressure regulator is needed rices, and motors. to maintain the operating pressure. - cleaning and lubricating (use - corrosion resistant piping graphite) the fan louvers. should be used to supply water to - adjusting belt tension and the misting nozzles. Rigid plastic replacing belts as necessary. pipe appears to be a good choice. - stocking spare replacement Check with the supplier to assure fan belts. the pipe can withstand a pressure Controls Dust should be removed from the sensing units of thermostats. Dust on these sensing units can act as an insulating agent and reduce thermostat sensitivity. Most broiler air inlet systems are regulated by automatic inlet con trollers. These controllers use a manometer as a sensing device. The manometer in these units should be serviced. This includes checking the fluid level and cali brating the zero setting. Adjust the automatic inlet controller to main tain a .04-.06 static pressure in the building. Check the high tempera ture alarm to make certain it is operating properly. COOLING SYSTEMS If the broiler house contains a misting evaporative cooling sys tem, this system should be serv iced as follows: - remove all nozzles and soak “It may not be for every produc er.” said Chaloupka. “But the industry feels that it may become a practical solution.” Broiler and Turkey Talk by Forest Muir Associate Professor of Poultry Science Penn State University for 10-20 minutes in approximate ly an 8 percent solution of hydro- of at least 200 psi. - a drain should be provided so that water can be drained from the system when not in use. - misting nozzles with a capaci ty of 1 gallon of water per hour at 200 psi should be used. The noz zles should be located near the inlets and the fog from the nozzles should be directed away from obstructions to prevent the fog from condensing before it has a chance to evaporate. - after the pipe is installed, the system should be flushed thor oughly before the nozzles are installed to remove any debris from the line. A small investment now in maintenance of the ventilation system and/or installation of a misting cooling system can pay big dividends when the first hot weather arrives.
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