CMancaatar Farming, Saturday, Octobar 2, 1993
iuli
Poi
[try
Penn State
Poultry |
Pointers
DON’T THROW
THAT BIRD AWAY!
R.M. Hulet
Associate Professor
Poultry Science
In the era of environmental
responsibility, new nutrient man
agement methods, 3nd an empha
sis on cost efficiency, a new
method of dead bird disposal has
gained popularity
Traditional approved methods
of disposal of normal martality are
burial pits, incineration, and
rendering. Having varying degrees
of success and associated cost, the
dead bird disposal practices of bur
ial and burning have been recently
discouraged because of potential
environmental damages. Burial
pits can potentially contaminate
ground water. Incinerators are
expensive and contribute to air
pollution.
Rendering, while an approved
LAND PRIDE
Productive Planting
from the Seeding Experts
Land Pride quality and Great Plains grain drill technology is built
into this rugged and productive Primary Seeder. Used for planting a
wide variety of grass seed in prepared seedbeds, this tool is
designed for low maintenance and easy of us'e. Features are built-in
to assure you of a top quality planting job and top quality results.
PENNSYLVANIA
Itraley Farm .Supply, Inc.
1760 East Canal Road
Dover. PA 17315
717-292-2631
Keller Brothers
R 7 Box 405
Lebanon, PA 17042
717-949-6501
1950 Fruitville Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
717-569-2500
Marshall Machinery, Inc.
Route 642
Honesdale, PA 18431
717-729-7117
Pikeville Equipment Inc.
RO 2, Oysterdale Road
Oley, PA 19547
215-987-6277 -
Tractor Parts Co.
335 Central Road
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
717-784-0250
method of recycling nutrients,
requires refrigeration to maintain
the value of the carcass. Hauling is
expensive and the collection sites
can be hard to keep biosecure,
since dead birds arc brought to one
place from many different farms.
Composting, on the other hand, is a
method that has been shown to be
of low cost and a method of recy
cling nutrients while avoiding the
biosecurity problem.
Recent work by Murphy and co
workers at the University of Mary
land and field experiments in Ala
bama has shown thaqt the method
people have used to dispose of gar
den and lawn waste can be an
effective and safe method of dis
posing of dead poultry. The
requirements for composting dead
poultry are similar to that for gar
den mixtures: a Carbon (C); Nitro
gen (N) ratio of 23:1 with a SS per
cent moisture content is optimal,
although a fairly wide range of
C:N ratios and moisture level is
Stouffer Bros. Inc.
1066 Lincoln Way West
Chambersburg, PA 17201
717-263-8424
Stoltzfus Farm Service
Cochranville, PA
215-593-2407
M.S. Yearsley & Sons
West Chester, PA
215-696-2990
Norman D. Clark &
Son, Inc.
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
Loysville, PA
717-789-3117
Nlcarry Equipment Co.
RO 2. Rt. 61. 3 Miles S. of
Leespoii, Reading, PA
215-926-2441
acceptable for normal operation.
The size of a composter it deter
mined by the average daily amount
of mortality for the farm or flock.
The formula below can help deter
mine the size of compos ter that is
needed:
\
Size (cubic feet of first tage) =
Farm capacity (#) X Bird market
weight Ob) X .0023.
For example, a 100,000-head
broiler flock with a final weight of
4.3 pound would warrant a 1,123
cubic foot first stage compost bin
(six bins. 8 feet wide, 6 feet deep,
and 4 feet high). A secondary bin
of the same volume as the first
stage would be needed for an oper
ational composter.
J
it Frol
A simple mixture of straw, hay.
or peanut hulls to supply the car
bon source, dead chickens, and lit
ter for the nitrogen source, mixed
with water and oxygen, will pro
duce a viable compost. Field stu
dies have shown that a properly
maintained composter will not
emit odors nor be a site of insect
infestation. When properly capped
and allowed to heat, the resultant
compost is a dark, odorless,
disease-free fertilizer, ready to be
spread on plants. Many tests have
been performed and shown that the
temperatures that occur
(140M60 0 F) for around two
weeks are sufficient ot kill bacteria
or virus agents harmful to poultry.
In daily operation, the compos
ter is started by placing 12 inches
of litter on the bottom of the prim
ary bin. The compost is then con
Deerfield Ag & Turf
Center, Inc.
RR 2 Box 212
Watsontown, PA 17777
717-538-3557
NEW JERSEY
Caldwell Tractor &
Equipment, Inc.
480 U.S. Route 46
Fairfield. N.J. 07006
201-227-6772
Rodlo Tractor Sales
North White Horse Pike
Hammonton, N.J. 08037
609-561-0141
Frank Rymon & Sons,
Inc.
RD 3, Box 355
Washington, N.J, 07882
201-689-1464
Reed Brothers
Petticoat Bridge Rd.
Columbus, N«J. 08022
609-267-3363
Need Your
Farm Buildings
Painted?
Let us give you a price!
Write: Daniels Fainting
637-A Georgetown Rd.
Ronke, PA 17572
(or leave message)
(717) 687-8262
Spray on and
Brush in Painting
FEEDER WAGON WITH HEADLOCKS
Featuring 24 Zimmerman adjustable headlocks for animals 10
months and older. Coated with Baked On Top Grade Polyester
TGIC Powder Mounted on s’x2o’ trough with adjustable tongue
FARMCO FEEDER WAGON
* 15” implement wheel (6 bolt)
* 2 jacks on front corners
for added stability
PAUL B.
Ikj u 295 Woodcorner Road
rf Call or Write For Fr| Lltitz, pa 17543-9165
S Additional Information 7to s ' 1 Mile West of Ephrata
| And Your Nearest Dealer s.t. 7 to 11 (717) 738-7365
SI 1 f *>«——- ■rPnaaraw «*— — Vmmu* *>■*»»»-
structed by adding a layere of
straw, a layer of dead chickens,
water, layer of litter, and than
another layer of straw. This is con
tinued to the top of the compost
bin. The final cover will be two
layers of litter to “cap” the bin. As
the compost looses volume, addi
tional litter can be added to cover
the gin.
The bin is monitored with a
36-inch probel thermometer.
When the temperature has peaked
(140°-160° F), in the primary bin,
the compost material is moved to
the secondary bin for aeration and
re-heating. This whole process
takes around two weeks after the
bin is capped. The re-heating pro
cess can continue as many limes as
the operator desires, but after two
heatings, most of die bird carcass
is indistinguishable and ready for
plant application as fertilizer.
Labor for maintaining a composter
for a 100,000-bird house takes
only 20 minutes a day.
Building requirements for a
composter are a roof to ensure
year-round operation without
interference from rain or show, a
foundation that is impervious to
moisture, weight-bearing surface
around the composter (concrete if
possible) to allow all-weather
opewration and to protect against
rodents, insects, dogs, etc.; and
pressure-treated or other rot
resistant framing material that will
resist temperature and microbial
activity of compost The cost of
constructing a composter with a
”V*«:" • r '
ZIMMERMAN, INC.
concrete pad will range from
$3,000 to SS.OOO, depending on
the design and materials used. The
annual cost for materials and labor
is estimated at $.004 per pound of
carcass composted. Compos tors
have been used for broilers, layers,
turkeys, and even hogs. With poul
try, only keels and some long
bones are visible after composting.
Even though the larger bones are
able to bel seen, they have gone
through a heat and are soft and fri
able and will readily mix in as a
soil constituent
Remember the formula of 1 part
chickens. 2 to 3 parts litter, 1/10
part straw, and enough water to
make about 30 to SO percent mois
ture (normal litter moisture is
around 25-40 percent). This means
for4oo pound of dead poultry, one
would need 800 pound of litter, 40
pound of straw, and SO gallons of
water (applied evenly to each lay
er). Composting is simple, effec
tive, and recycles the nutrients that
formerly have been thrown away
or disposed of as waste.
If you have a flock of poultry,
what are your costs in disposing of
flock mortality? If it is greater than
.4 cents per pound, you need to
consider composting. Don’t just
throw away your dead birds, but
recycle them through a safe, effec
tive method of composting.
Ask your local extension agent
for approved plans for composters
and information on federal cost
sharing programs for this environ
mentally safe dead bird-disposal
practice.
f
KEN CLUGSTON
(717) 665-6775
CRAFT-BILT
CONSTRUCTION INC.
FARM-HOME BUILDING
1242 BrenemaTf Road
MANHEIM, PA 17545
PH: (717) 665-4372
I BUILDING & REMODELING FOR
\ DAIRY RESIDENTIAL
| SWINE POLE BUILDINGS
| BEEF STORAGE
rami
iwc. W
v. K-
' ■?*» i *
mmw
.yyj
'~i II
FEATURES:
ZIMMERMAN HEADLOCKS
* Spring loaded neck bar for easy
removal and adjustment
* Individual lock on each yoke for
retaining individual animals
* **