Manure management is a critical aspect of poultry farming. Proper handling and disposal of poultry manure not only ensures environmental sustainability but can also enhance farm productivity and profitability. This article will explore the importance of manure management, best practices for handling poultry waste, and how poultry farmers can turn this by-product into a valuable resource.

Best Practices for Manure Management

Poultry manure is rich in nutrients, particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are essential for crop growth. Many Alberta farmers are turning to manure as an organic fertilizer, reducing the need for synthetic alternatives and improving soil health. However, if not managed properly, manure can pose significant environmental risks. Improper disposal can lead to water pollution through nutrient runoff, air pollution from ammonia emissions, and soil degradation. Adherence to best practices in manure management is essential for maintaining environmental standards.

1. Manure Collection and Storage

Litter Management: In poultry houses, litter (a mixture of bedding material and manure) should be regularly monitored and managed. The goal is to maintain dry conditions to reduce odor, ammonia emissions, and the risk of disease.

Manure treatment: Manure can contain pathogens, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and antibiotic residue. Therefore, manure needs to be treated before applying it to the soil. The most common treatments are composting and anaerobic digestion. These techniques will be mentioned in more detail later in this article.

Storage Facilities: Proper storage of manure is crucial. Manure should be stored in a covered, leak-proof facility to prevent nutrient loss and minimize environmental impact. Concrete or other impermeable materials should be used for storage floors to prevent leaching into the soil.

2. Nutrient Management Planning

Soil Testing: Regular soil testing helps determine nutrient levels in the soil, allowing farmers to apply manure at appropriate rates. Over-application can lead to nutrient runoff and pollution of nearby water bodies.

Manure Testing: Manure is not always the same, its nutrients can vary according to the bedding material and birds’ diets.Testing the nutrient content of manure ensures that it is applied in quantities that meet crop needs without causing excess nutrient buildup.

3. Application Techniques

Timing: Manure should be applied during periods when crops can readily absorb nutrients, typically in the growing season. Avoid spreading manure on frozen or snow-covered ground to reduce the risk of runoff.

Application Methods: Injection or incorporation of manure into the soil minimizes nutrient loss and odor while enhancing nutrient availability to crops. Surface spreading, if necessary, should be followed by immediate incorporation.

4. Odor and Pest Control

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Effective IPM strategies, including proper manure handling and storage, can minimize fly populations and other pests that thrive in manure.

5. Regulatory Compliance

Alberta’s Agricultural Operation Practices Act (AOPA): Farmers must adhere to AOPA regulations, which set out requirements for manure storage, handling, and application. Compliance ensures that farming operations are sustainable and environmentally responsible. The complete Manure management planning can be found at https://www.alberta.ca/manure-management-planning

Turning Manure into a Resource

Properly managed poultry manure can be a valuable asset. Some techniques to convert poultry waste into a resource are mentioned below:

Composting: 

Poultry manure is mixed with carbon-rich materials (e.g., straw, wood chips) and bulky agents and allowed to decompose through aerobic microbial breakdown. Composted manure can be sold or applied to the field following the recommendations above. 

Benefits: It generates a uniform product that is free of pathogens, stabilizes nutrients, and minimizes odors.

Drawbacks: It is a time-consuming process (3-6 months). It requires careful monitoring of temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels to ensure complete composting. Composting can be done in a building with concrete flooring or government approval is required.

Pyrolysis

It is the thermal treatment of manure heated to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. There are three categories of pyrolysis varying on the heating rates, process temperature, biomass particle size and solid retention time: slow, fast and flash. The process generates biol-oil, biochar and non-condensable gas products (syngas). 

Benefits: High temperatures kill pathogens and parasites, the volume of the product is reduced, which facilitates storage and transportation. Biochar can be used in soil amendment, improving water retention. Syngas and biol-oil can be used as renewable energy sources.

Drawbacks: The equipment required for pyrolysis is expensive, making it less accessible to small-scale operations. Slow pyrolysis results in low quality biol-oil and requires a great energy input. 

Gasification: is the thermochemical conversion of manure into syngas by exposing it to high temperatures with limited oxygen.

Benefits: Gasification has the same benefits as pyrolysis as it eliminates pathogens and reduces odor and volume. However,  gasification has one extra advantage that is reduced GHG emissions when compared with other methods.

Drawbacks: gasification has a high capital cost and its complex, requiring careful control of temperature and oxygen levels. The process can produce contaminants such as tar, NH3 and H2S that can cause concerns to the environment.

Anaerobic digestion 

Manure is broken down by microbes in an oxygen-free environment, producing biogas (mainly methane) and digestate (nutrient-rich material). The process involves four key stages: fermentation (hydrolysis), acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis. Each degradation stage is driven by a distinct group of microorganisms,

Benefits: Generates renewable energy (biogas) and reduces odor and pathogens.

Drawbacks: High initial cost and complexity; requires controlled conditions.

Conclusion

Manure management is an essential component of sustainable poultry farming. By following best practices, farmers can protect the environment, comply with regulations, and turn manure into a valuable resource that supports crop production and farm profitability. With ongoing advancements in manure management techniques and technologies, Alberta’s poultry farmers are well-positioned to lead the way in sustainable agriculture.

References:

Jim, 2021. Manure Management on Commercial Layer Operations: Manure Production and Challenges. Poultry Producer. https://www.poultryproducer.com/manure-management-on-commercial-layer-operations-manure-production-and-challenges/

Manogaram et al., 2022. A review on treatment processes of chicken manure. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772801322000112

Robinson, J. 2024. Manure Management: The carbon market. Canadian Poultry Magazine. https://www.canadianpoultrymag.com/the-carbon-market/

Author Profile

Thania Moraes

Extension Technician at Poultry Innovation Partnership

Thania joined PIP as the PIP Extension technician in 2021.