Alum-Treated Poultry Litter as a Fertilizer Source

Alum used for poultry houses is sold under the commercial name of “Al+ Clear” in either liquid or dry form. Alum should not be confused with other litter treatment chemicals such as “PLT” (poultry litter treatment), as PLT is comprised mainly of sodium bisulfate (NaHSO4). Although PLT is effective at reducing ammonia levels, pathogens in house, energy costs, and potentially increasing forage yields, this product will have little impact on P solubility and subsequent runoff concentrations upon land application of treated litter. For alum, the active component is aluminum and for PLT the active component is the bisulfate (HSO4 -), not to be confused with sulfate (SO4 2-). Both alum and PLT acidify litter. However, application of the treated litter to soils for crop nutrients does not cause the soil to acidify. Alum is typically applied to poultry houses at a rate of 5 percent to 10 percent by weight of the litter (or 0.1 lb/bird to 0.2 lb/bird). Thus, for a typical poultry house (16,000 ft2) containing 20,000 broilers, a 5 percent alum application would equal 1 ton alum per flock or 125 lb/1000 ft2. For a 10 percent application, 2 tons of alum would be applied per flock or 250 lb/1000 ft2. These calculations assume that an average broiler weighing 4 lbs produces 2 lbs of manure. For larger birds (6 lbs), the recommended alum application rate increases to 0.15 and 0.30 lbs/bird for a 5 percent and 10 percent rate, respectively. Alum-Treated Poultry Litter as a Fertilizer Source