Prepared by:
J. P. Zublena
Extension Soil Science Specialist
J. C. Barker
Extension Agricultural Engineering Specialist
T. A. Carter
Extension Poultry Science Specialist
Publication Number: AG 439-5
Last Electronic Revision: March 1996 (JWM)
Collecting a representative manure sample is essential to reliable nutrient analysis. The nutrient value of litter varies greatly within the poultry house. To reduce sample variability, collect subsamples of broiler, turkey, and duck litter in 6 to 12 areas of the house. Samples taken around waterers, feeders, and brooders should be proportionate to the space these areas occupy in the house. At each location, collect litter by digging an area down to the earth; be careful, however, not to include soil. Place the subsamples in a plastic bucket, mix thoroughly, and put 2 to 3 pounds of the mixture in a sample container. Samples from stockpiled litter should be taken from at least 6 locations around thepile, all at depths of at least 18 inches. Subsamples should be mixed and submitted as suggested for litter from poultry houses.
To increase sample uniformity in poultry manure slurries and lagoon sludges, stir them before sampling. Within an anaerobic lagoon, liquids are relatively uniform above the sludge zone; nevertheless, take several subsamples and combine them.
If you cannot have the manure analyzed, use the mean nutrient values for your specific type of poultry manure found in Tables 1 through 4. Table 5 gives t he average values for the secondary and micronutrients ordinarily listed in the manure analysis report.
When using mean values for manure nutrient composition, exercise caution to avoid over- or underfertilization. Also, after several years, elements such as copper or zinc may accumulate and reach very high levels. To avoid these problems, take an annual plant tissue and a biennial soil sample to monitor nutrient levels.
Total Ammonium Phosphorus Potassium Manure Type N NH4 P2O5 K2O -------------------lb/ton------------------- Fresh (no litter) 26 10 17 11 Broiler house litter1 72 11 78 46 Roaster house litter1 73 12 75 45 Breeder house litter1 31 7 54 31 Stockpiled litter1 36 8 80 34 1Annual manure and litter accummulation; typical litter base is sawdust, wood shavings, or peanut hulls. Source: Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, NCSU.
Manure Total Ammonium Phosphorus Potassium
Type N NH4- N P2O5 K20
-------------------lb/ton-------------------
Fresh (no litter) 26 6 22 11
Undercage scraped1 28 14 31 20
Highrise stored2 38 18 56 30
--------------lb/1,000 gallons---------------
Liquid slurry3 62 42 59 37
Anaerobic
lagoon sludge 26 8 92 13
----------------lb/acre-inch-----------------
Anaerobic
lagoon liquid 179 154 46 266
1Manure collected within two days.
2Annual manure accummulation on unpaved surfaces.
3Six-12 months' accummulation of manure, excess water usage, and
storage-surface rainfall surplus; does not include fresh water for flushing.
Source: Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, NCSU.
Nitrogen in poultry wastes comes from uric acid, ammonia salts, and organic (fecal) matter. The predominant form is uric acid, which readily transforms to ammonia (NH3), a gaseous form of nitrogen that can evaporate if not mixed into the soil. When it is thoroughly mixed, the ammonia changes to ammonium (NH4+), which can be temporarily held on clay particles and organic matter. Thus, soil mixing can reduce nitrogen losses and increase the amount available to plants.
Table 6 lists the first-year nutrient availability coefficients for various poultry manures. Determine the available nutrients by multiplying these values by the nutrient composition values listed on the waste analysis report or in Tables 1 through 4. The NCDA's Agronomic Division calculates available nutrients and lists them in its report.
Manure Total Ammonium Phosphorus Potassium Type N NH4- N P2O5 K2O ------------------lb/ton-------------------- Fresh (no litter) 27 8 25 12 Brooder house litter1 45 9 52 32 Grower house litter2 57 16 72 40 Stockpiled litter3 36 8 72 33 1Based on cleanout after each flock. 2Based on annual cleanout after full production. 3Based on annual house accummulation removed to uncovered stockpile to be spread within six months. Source: Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, NCSU.
Manure Total Ammonium Phosphorus Potassium Type N NH4- N P2O5 K2O --------------------lb/ton-------------------- Fresh (no litter) 28 5 23 17 House litter1 19 3 17 14 Stockpiled litter2 24 5 42 22 1Annual manure and litter accummulation; typical litter base is wood shavings. 2Annual house accummulation removed to uncovered stockpile to be spread within six months. Source: Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, NCSU.
Manure Type Ca Mg S Na Fe Mn B Mo Zn Cu -------------------------------------lb/ton------------------------------------ Layer Undercage scraped 43.0 6.1 7.1 4.5 0.52 0.27 0.050 0.00390 0.32 0.036 Highrise stored 86.0 6.0 8.8 5.0 1.8 0.52 0.046 0.00038 0.37 0.043 Broiler Litter Broiler house 41.0 8.0 15.0 13.0 1.3 0.67 0.054 0.00085 0.63 0.45 Roaster house 43.0 8.5 14.0 13.0 1.6 0.74 0.049 0.00082 0.68 0.51 Breeder house 94.0 6.8 8.5 8.6 1.3 0.57 0.035 0.00048 0.52 0.21 Stockpiled 54.0 8.0 12.0 6.2 1.5 0.59 0.041 0.00069 0.55 0.27 Turkey Litter Brooder house 28.0 5.7 7.6 5.9 1.4 0.52 0.047 0.00081 0.46 0.36 Grower house 42.0 7.0 10.0 8.4 1.3 0.65 0.048 0.00092 0.64 0.51 Stockpiled 42.0 6.8 9.5 6.4 1.5 0.62 0.047 0.00095 0.56 0.34 Duck Litter Duck house 22.0 2.7 3.1 2.8 .98 0.31 0.021 0.00040 0.26 .056 Stockpiled 27.0 4.4 5.6 8.8 1.2 0.47 0.030 0.00030 0.47 .050 -------------------------------lb/1,000 gallons--------------------------------- Layer Liquid slurry 35.0 6.8 8.2 5.3 2.9 0.42 0.040 0.018 0.43 0.080 Lagoon sludge 71.0 7.2 12.0 4.2 2.2 2.3 0.082 0.014 0.80 0.14 ---------------------------------lb/acre-inch--------------------------------- Layer Lagoon liquid 25.0 7.4 52.0 51.0 2.0 0.24 0.37 0.020 0.70 0.19
Nitrogen recommendations for various crops are listed in Table 7. Use these rates as guidelines with realistic yield capabilities for the crop and field. With feed and forage crops, excessive manure application can produce high nitrate concentrations, which can harm livestock (through nitrate poisoning) and promote nutrient imbalances that may lead to grass tetany. If loading rates are to be based on phosphorus, apply the amount suggested by soil-test recommendations. Because the manure may not supply adequate amounts of all the other nutrients required by the crop, be sure to take a soil test and, if necessary, supplement with commercial fertilizer.
In addition to monitoring nutrients, be sure to maintain an adequate soil pH, which will help to maximize crop yields and nutrient availability and promote the decomposition of organic matter. The biological conversion of organic matter to nitrate is an acid-forming process. Take annual or biennial soil samples to monitor pH changes. When livestock wastes are applied at agronomic rates, high salinity (excess salt) has not been a problem, given normal amounts of rainfall in North Carolina.
A worksheet to help you determine land application rates is included at the end of the text.
Manure Soil Type Injection1 Incorporation2 Broadcast3 Irrigation4 --------P2O5 and K2O availability coefficients-------- All manure types 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 --------------N availability coefficient-------------- All poultry litters5 - 0.6 0.5 — - Layers (no litter) —- 0.6 0.4 - — Layer anaerobic lagoon sludge 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4 Layer anaerobic liquid slurry 0.8 0.7 0.4 0.3 Layer liquid lagoon 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.5 1Manure injected directly into soil and covered immediately. 2Surface-spread manure plowed or disked into soil within two days. 3Surface-spread manure uncovered for one month or longer. 4Sprinkler-irrigated liquid uncovered for one month or longer. 5Includes in-house and stockpiled litters.
Commodity lb N/RYE1 Corn (grain) 1.0 - 1.25 lb N/bu Corn (silage) 10 - 20 lb N/ton Cotton 0.06 - 0.12 lb N/lb lint Sorghum (grain) 2.0 - 2.5 lb N/cwt Wheat (grain) 1.7 - 2.4 lb N/bu Rye (grain) 1.7 - 2.4 lb N/bu Barley (grain) 1.4 - 1.6 lb N/bu Triticale (grain) 1.4 - 1.6 lb N/bu Oats 1.0 - 1.3 lb N/bu Bermudagrass (hay2,3) 40 - 50 lb N/dry ton Tall fescue (hay2,3) 40 - 50 lb N/dry ton Orchardgrass (hay2,3) 40 - 50 lb N/dry ton Small grain(hay2,3) 50 - 60 lb N/dry ton Sorghum-sudangrass (hay2,3) 45 - 55 lb N/dry ton Millet (hay2,3) 45 - 55 lb N/dry ton Pine and hardwood trees4 40 60 lb N/acre/year 1RYE = Realistic Yield Expectation 2Annual maintenance guidelines 3Reduce N rate by 25 percent when grazing. 4On trees less than 5 feet tall, N will stimulate undergrowth competition.
To minimize nitrogen losses, apply manure as near as possible to planting time or to the crop growth stage during which nitrogen is most needed. Surfacewater and groundwater contaminations are greater in areas of high rainfall and when manures for spring crops are applied in fall or winter. For coarse-textured soils, manures should be applied frequently and at low rates throughout the growing season because such soils have a high water infiltration rate and a low ability to hold nutrients. Unused nitrogen can therefore be lost by leaching.
Exercise caution when applying lagoon liquid by irrigation on crops undergoing stress (for example, corn during an extended drought). A heavy coating of manure solids on the leafy vegetation can cause ammonia burn. Except in extreme cases, this damage is usually short term and does not significantly reduce yields. With concentrated lagoon liquids, use several small applications rather than one large dose.
Whether poultry waste is applied by manure spreaders or irrigation systems, you must apply it uniformly. A lack of uniformity leads to nutrient excesses and deficiencies, lower yields, and variable crop moisture at harvest time.
Whenever manure or lagoon liquid samples are available for analysis, they should be used to determine application rates and acreage requirements. When you are planning new facilities, however, the average values can help determine approximate acreage requirements for a poultry operation of a given size. Table 8 gives minimum acreage requirements for various nitrogen fertilization rates. This table can be used to estimate the minimum acreage required to use all of the manure.
Suppose that a producer is interested in building two broiler houses with a combined 50,000 bird capacity/growout. The producer is planning to spread this litter on a bermudagrass hay field capable of producing 6 dry tons per acre. From Table 7, the bermudagrass will require 300 lb nitrogen per acre (6 tons x 50 lb N/dry ton). How many acres of bermudagrass would be needed for the entire year's waste? Using Table 8, under surface broadcast column 300, we find that each 1,000-bird capacity would require 0.65 acres for land application of broiler litter. For a 50,000-bird growout operation (0.65 x 50), the producer would need 32.5 acres for a year's worth of litter.
Soil Incorporated1 Surface Broadcast2 ------------------------lb N/acre/year------------------------ 100 200 300 400 100 200 300 400 -----------Annual acres/1,000 bird single capacity------------ Layer Undercaged scraped 4.80 2.40 1.60 1.20 3.00 1.50 1.00 0.75 Highrise scraped 4.30 2.15 1.43 1.07 2.60 1.30 0.87 0.65 Liquid manure/slurry 6.70 3.35 2.23 1.68 4.00 2.00 1.33 1.00 Anaerobic lagoon sludge 0.71 0.35 0.24 0.18 0.56 0.28 0.19 0.14 Anaerobic lagoon liquid 0.87 0.43 0.29 0.22 0.84 0.42 0.28 0.21 Broiler Litter Broiler house 2.40 1.20 0.80 0.60 1.96 0.98 0.65 0.49 Roaster house 4.30 2.15 1.43 1.08 3.60 1.80 1.20 0.90 Breeder house 4.70 2.35 1.57 1.18 3.20 1.60 1.07 0.80 Stockpiled 1.20 0.60 0.40 0.30 0.92 0.46 0.31 0.23 Turkey Litter Poult house 1.40 0.70 0.47 0.35 1.08 0.54 0.36 0.27 Brooder house 8.10 4.05 2.70 2.02 5.60 2.80 1.87 1.40 Grower hen house 5.70 2.85 1.90 1.43 4.00 2.00 1.33 1.00 Grower tom house 8.60 4.30 2.87 2.15 6.00 3.00 2.00 1.50 Stockpiled Poult 0.94 0.47 0.31 0.23 0.76 0.38 0.25 0.19 Hen 3.00 1.50 1.00 0.75 2.40 1.20 0.80 0.60 Tom 4.50 2.25 1.50 1.13 3.60 1.80 1.20 0.90 Duck Litter Duck house 3.00 1.50 1.00 0.75 2.20 1.10 0.73 0.55 Stockpiled 1.50 0.75 0.50 0.38 1.08 0.54 0.36 0.27 1Incorporated within two days 2Not incorporated for at least 1 month
(43 x $0.23) + (62 x $0.22) + (37 x $0.12) = $27.97 per ton
This value does not cover hauling, handling, or application costs, nor does it include the value of other essential nutrients available in the manure. In addition, it assumes that the soil test has recommended each nutrient, when, in fact, many may not be needed. Nutrients not needed should not be considered when you assess the manure's value.
His corn-yield goal is 140 bush-els per acre, and he has decided to apply the equivalent of 140 pounds of nitrogen per acre (Table 7). His land is not subject to erosion, is not in a nutrient-sensitive watershed, and has grassed borders and waterways to further reduce the potential of runoff.
Farmer Jones used a starter fer-tilizer on his corn crop at a rate to supply 10 pounds of nitrogen per acre and 34 pounds of phosphorus per acre. He intends to supply the rest of his nitrogen needs by applying broiler litter with a litter spreader (Figure 1) and incorporating it within two days.
How much litter does he need to spread in order to meet the nitrogen needs of his corn crop? Will he need to supplement the crop with additional potash or phosphate to satisfy his soil-test recommendations of 50 pounds per acre of each nutrient? The answers are given in the following worksheet. Use Table 9 to estimate available nitrogen carry-over from legumes.
Legume1 Residual Nitrogen Available
----------lb/acre----------
Alfalfa2 80-100
Harry vetch2 80-100
Crimson clover2 60-75
Austrian winter pea2 50-60
Soybeans3 harvested for seed 15-30
Peanuts3 harvested for seed 20-40
1Assumes good stand.
2Killed before planting current spring crop.
3Legume planted in previous year or season. More nitrogen available if
fall-planted crop immediately follows legume; less nitrogen available with
spring-planted crop.
Example Your Farm
1.Crop to be grown corn
2.Total nutrients required
a.N (Table 7) (lb/acre) 140
b.P2O5 (soil test) (lb/acre) 50
c.K2O (soil test) (lb/acre) 50
3.Pounds of starter or preplant fertilizer used
a.N (lb/acre) 10
b.P2O5 (lb/acre) 34
c.K2O (lb/acre) 0
4.Residual N credit from legumes (Table 9) (lb/acre) 20
5.Net nutrient needs of crop (lb/acre)
Nitrogen: total need (item 2a) minus additional N from starter
(item 3a) minus legume residual (item 4)
a.N: 140 –10 – 20 (lb/acre) 110
Phosphorus and potassium: total need (items 2b and 2c) minus
additional nutrients from starter (items 3b and 3c)
b.P2O5: 50 – 34 (lb/acre) 16
c.K2O: 50 – 0 (lb/acre) 50
6.Nutrient totals in manure. If analysis report already
gives available nutrients, skip this item.
a.Total N (Tables 1-4 or waste samples)(lb/ton) 72
b.P2O5 (lb/ton) 78
c.K2O (lb/ton) 46
7.Nutrients available to crop (items 6a, 6b, and 6c) times
availability coefficients (Table 6). If analysis report already
gives available nutrients, fill in those numbers.
a.Available N: 72 x 0.6 (lb/ton) 43.2
b.Available P2O5: 78 x 0.8 (lb/ton) 62.4
c.Available K2O: 46 x 0.8 (lb/ton) 36.8
8.Application rate to supply priority nutrient
a.Priority nutrient nitrogen
b.Amount of priority nutrient needed
(lb/acre from item 5a) 110
c.Rate of manure needed to supply priority nutrient (item 8b)
divided by (item 7a): 110/43.2 (tons/acre) 2.55
9.Pounds per acre of all nutrients supplied at the application rate
required to meet the needs for the priority nutrient: for each
nutrient, enter the available nutrients (items 7a, 7b,and 7c) times
manure rate (item 8c)
a.N supplied: 43.2 x 2.55 (lb/acre) 110
b.P2O5 supplied: 62.4 x 2.55 (lb/acre) 159
c.K2O supplied: 36.8 x 2.55 (lb/acre) 94
10.Nutrient balance: net nutrient need (–) or excess (+) after application
of manure at calculated rate. Subtract the net nutrient needs of
the crop (items 5a, 5b, and 5c) from the nutrient rate applied
(items 9a, 9b, and 9c).
a.N balance: 110 –110 (lb/acre) 0
b.P2O5 balance: 159 –16 (lb/acre) +143
c.K2O balance: 92 – 50 (lb/acre) +44
Note: Calculation format modified from Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Resources, Field Application of Manure,October 1986.
The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance and cooperation of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's Agronomic Division in the analysis of samples and the development of the data used in this publication.