Nutritional and Management Abatement Strategies for Improvement of Poultry Air and Water Quality

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Environmental and water quality issues have received a lot of press coverage in recent years as contamination of ground and surface water sources have been brought to the attention of the US public. The importance of these issues will continue to escalate as the supply of potable water diminishes in the U.S. and our nation looks more critically at its natural resource base. Water quality is a health issue in many parts of the US and world, and in addition to being important for human health, water quality can affect poultry health and performance. The goal of this project is to study the environmental issues affecting poultry production and this is the only regional project dedicated to this topic. For this reason, the objectives are broader than would be preferred under other circumstances. The poultry industry depends on our capacity to address current, relevant issues in a timely and comprehensive manner. Food safety, performance, health, and profitability of poultry and poultry products also will be examined. <P>APPROACH: Evaluate nutritional and management strategies to minimize the impact of poultry production on air and water quality. Air and water quality are integral to proper manure management both during and after production.Researchers in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana and Pennsylvania are working in collaboration on management strategies including the use of vegetative buffers (Delaware and Pennsylvania), alternative litter sources and amendment sources (Alabama, Delaware, Louisiana, Georgia), and proper methods of disposal for daily and catastrophic mortalities (Delaware, Pennsylvania and Alabama). <P>PROGRESS: 2007/01 TO 2007/12<BR>
OUTPUTS: Research efforts in 2007 included trials aimed at extending the life of litter (bedding) in the broiler house so that litter reuse is facilitated with little or no loss of broiler productivity. When this is accomplished, less litter becomes available for use in land application, reducing effects on watershed. Also, when litter reuse is a common practice, litter can be removed from the house at a time of the year and in a manner that ultimate use of the litter as a soil amendment can be controlled for minimizing chances of ecological damage. Trials completed in 2007 included work on in-house composting to rejuvenate litter and control litter-borne disease agents, Using litter amendments to reduce ammonia volatilization (allowing better conditions for the birds despite reusing litter and keeping nitrogen in the litter for ultimate use as a fertilizer), and testing new litter sources for suitability. <BR>PARTICIPANTS: J.B. Hess J.P. Blake K.S. Macklin <BR>TARGET AUDIENCES: Poultry Companies Poultry Farmers Government Policy Makers
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IMPACT: 2007/01 TO 2007/12<BR>
A large majority of broiler growers use litter amendments to reduce ammonia and lengthen the life of their litter. This research will help to define how much amendment needs to be used and when. Windrow composting also will allow the reuse of litter to control the application of litter to soils.