C4-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 27, 1993 P' lull 'o Penn State Poultry ] \ Pointers r EXCESS POULTRY MANURE? Robert E. Graves Professor of Agricultural Engineering Poultry manure that cannot be spread on nearby crop fields is a problem. In addition to its bulk and moisture content, it can be a nui sance, causing odor, fly, and rodentproblems. Composting is an alternative that will help utilize poultry manure. Composted man ure is drier and has little odor and less volume than “raw” manure. Compost is produced when rich 1 AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE INC. CITGO l Sinking Spring (215) 678-3421 Annville (717) 867-2285 Pottstown (215) 323-7400 Central Penn Oil (Muncy) (717) 546-2258 SPRING OIL SPECIALS 1-55 Gal. Drum 2-55 Gal. Drums 3-55 Gal. Drums $l95 25 Per Drum $ 187°° Per Drum $lB1 5 ° Per Drum Citgo Supergard 10W-30 SG/CD Citgard 500 15W-40 CF-4/SG Citgard 500 #3O CE/SG Citgo Dexron 11-E/Mercon® Citgo Tractor Hydraulic No Deposit/No Return Drums Mix or Match For 2 or 3 Drum Total CITGO LUBRICANTS Call us for bulk oil prices!! organic materials, such as poultry manure, are aerobically decom posed, or aged. This process, called composting, results in a stable, reasonably inoffensive, humus-like material. The primary ingredients neces sary for successful composting are carbon, nitrogen, moisture, air, and enough material to allow heat buil dup in the compost pile or vessel. Parameters usually given for suc cessful composting are: Carbon/Nitrogen ratio - 20:1-40:1; Moisture - 40-65%; Temperature - 110-150 degrees Fahrenheit: Particle size - 1/8 - 1/12” to provide a loose fluffy pile. Poultry manure can vary from high-nitrogen, wet cage layer man ure to low-nitrogen, dry-caked broiler litter. Like most farm man ures, it requires the addition of a carbonaceous bulking agent such as wood chips, sawdust, straw, or cornstalks. This material acts both to provide additional carbon and to increase pore space in the pile. Waste paper, cardboard and kraft bags, while they offer little struc ture, can be used as a carbon source. As microorganisms begin breaking down organic material, they generate heat Heat is lost through the sides of the pile and in air that flows through the pile to provide oxygen for the bugs to live and work. The activity of the bugs can be determined by monitoring pile temperature. Monitoring tempera ture daily and comparing it with temperatures from previous days will give an idea of what is happening. Under ideal conditions, the temperature will rise very rapidly in the first few days and then sta bilize around 140 degrees for 2 to 4 weeks. A gradual decline in temp erature may indicate that the pile is becoming less active. Tempera tures will also go down if the bugs FOR SAIEX PEANUT HULLS For BEDDING Most effective I as bedding for ail I kinds of beef and I dairy cattle, bogs, horse®, sheep L poultry Any amount delivered or call for at farm. Esbenshade Turkey Farm (America’s Oldest— PO Box 337 Paradise, Pa. (717) 687-7631 David N. Groff RD 3 Lawlaburg, PA (717) 868-1420 Herat Grain Roaatlng Roaat-U-Matie 3040 Panna Grova Rd. r.r«ln Lincoln Unlv., PA 19352 Salaa-Servlea (Chaalar Co.) Cuatom Work (215) 860-8834 Roatt-Cool Unit Available have run out of air, the pile has become too dry, or there is not enough material to decompose. Increasing aeration with blow ers or by mixing and stirring the pile should cause temperatures to rise again. If the pile is too dry, water must be added to help bugs break down large organic parti cles. If a pile is poorly mixed, the carbon and nitrogen sources may not be close enough together for the bugs to utilize both. In this case some bugs will get a diet rich in nitrogen while other bugs will get a diet too rich in carbon. Growing composting bugs is like raising chickens: You need the right conditions. Under conditions of high activity and low air supply, the bugs can get too hot and start to die off. To help control excess heat, increase aeration. It’s easy to get started compost ing poultry manure. All you need is a reasonably dry site away from runoff, a front end loader, some dry carbonaceous material to mix with the manure, and time and interest A good-sized truck load of manure should make a large enough pile to contain heat. Mix 1 (800) 273-3882, Sehnnpp'a Grain Roaatlng, Inc. RD 6 Lebanon, PA 1-800-402-4004 717-808-6011 the poultry manure and bullring agent until you get a material with the consistency of damp silage or wet hay. Do not drive on or into the pile, rather shake the material out of the bucket onto the pile so it stays fluffy. After three or four days, dig into the pile; if steam emerges, things are working. If you get a strong ammonia smell, you have not added enough carbon. Turn the pile and check it again in a few days. A thermometer that can measure temperatures 1-3 feet into the pile is helpful. To compost large amounts of material regular ly, you need to develop an environ mentally sound composting area and may wish to use a compost windrow turner. Or you may decide to invest in an aerated static pile or bunker-type facility. Three fact sheets about com posting are available from your county Penn Slate Cooperative Extension office, or write to me, Dr. Bob Graves, 244 Agricultural Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802-1909. Adjustable closing guides give more time to set plants at faster speeds. Rugged welded steel frame. Easy feed rubber plant holders. High-carbon steel. Furrow opening shoe. Adjustable steel chain tighteners. Maintains proper slack on drive chains. Eliminating drag which causes packing wheel slippage. FULL SERVICE & REPAIR LESTER A. SINGER CO. 96 N. tanks Rd. Ronk*, PA 17572
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers