By Cat Holmes
University of Georgia
It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Georgia the king of the hill
when it comes to poultry. After all, the state produces 24.6
million broiler chickens each day, more than any other U.S.
state and more than most nations.
And that hill would be largely composed of chicken litter were
it not for an innovative voluntary nutrient management
program.
“The whole purpose of the plan is to teach farmers how to apply
chicken litter correctly to soil as a fertilizer and avoid
nutrient contamination in soil and ground water,” said Dan
Cunningham, a University of Georgia poultry scientist and the
program’s administrator.
Less than four years after its start, nearly every poultry
grower in Georgia has been trained in the best way to manage
the poultry litter on their farm, whether it’s applied to their
own fields or hauled to nearby farms. More than 3,800 farmers
had the training in more than 70 sessions.
“We’re as close to having every poultry producer in the state
trained as we can possibly be,” Cunningham said. “Since
January, we’ve been doing follow-up programs, which are
basically refresher courses. And we’ve already done eight to 10
this year, working with 400 to 500 people.”
Pros and cons
When the adage, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,”
was coined, the coiner may have had chicken litter in mind.
“Chicken litter is actually what we call a complete
fertilizer,” said Glen Harris, a soil scientist with the UGA
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “It
contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, as well as other
minerals, so it’s good stuff. And that’s the reason we bother
using it.
“The challenge with poultry litter is that we fertilize most
crops for nitrogen,” Harris said. “Poultry litter contains too
much phosphorus in proportion to the nitrogen. So if too much
litter is applied to a field, the excess phosphorus can
eventually run off into the groundwater, causing algae blooms
in lakes and reservoirs. Eventually, you can get fish kills.”
Another challenge it presents, he said, is its odor. “Folks
have tried all kinds of deodorants and such. But let’s call a
spade a spade: it stinks,” he said.
How it works
To use chicken litter as fertilizer and avoid nutrient
contamination, poultry growers must keep careful records. They
must have both the litter and soil to which it will be applied
analyzed.
“The program and training are site-specific,” Cunningham
said. “That’s the point: one farm may have a major water source
running through it, and obviously the concerns there would be
quite different from another one down the road with no
proximity to a water source.”
Growers are also trained on how to apply and store the manure,
prevent soil erosion and dispose of dead birds.
The Georgia Poultry Federation plays matchmaker, matching
farmers who want manure and with those who have it available.
Because transporting the litter is costly, finding farms near
the growers is crucial.
Environmental protection
As the poultry industry in Georgia has grown, so have concerns
about water and soil contamination. Algae blooms in Lake Lanier
and Lake Allatoona, as well as soil samples showing too much
phosphorous in the farmland of 13 counties, have made it clear
that properly managing poultry litter is necessary.
The fact that Georgia’s nutrient management program is
voluntary is unique, Cunningham said.
“Before there was any indication that there was an
environmental problem, before there were any rules or
regulations, we decided to take a proactive approach,” he
said.
“We protect the state’s surface water and groundwater and
enhance the value of litter as fertilizer through best
management practices,” he said, “which is what this program
teaches.”
(Cat Holmes is a science writer with the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)
