Polyether ionophores, monensin, and salinomycin are commonly used as antiparasitic drugs in broiler production and may be present in broiler litter (bird excreta plus bedding material). Long-term application of broiler litter to pastures may lead to ionophore contamination of surface waters. Because polyether ionophores break down at low pH, we hypothesized that decreasing litter pH with an aci...

an annual rate of 7 percent since 1986 with 371 million broilers produced in 1994. Broiler litter (mixture of poultry excreta, bedding material, wasted feed and feathers) is usually removed from the poultry houses on an annual basis. Because of its high nutrient content, poultry litter is usually applied to agricultural land as fertilizer with an economic value of $20 to $30/ton. Broiler litter...

Improved methods for broiler chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter utilization are needed to alleviate potential impacts of pollution around broiler production operations. Pelletization may constitute one improved method for handling broiler litter. The objective of this study was to determine the change in nutrient concentration from pelletizing broiler litter, and determine availability o...

Contamination of litter in a broiler grow-out house with Salmonella prior to placement of a new flock has been shown to be a precursor of the flock's Salmonella contamination further down the production continuum. In the southern USA, broiler grow-out houses are primarily built on dirt pad foundations that are placed directly on top of the native soil surface. Broiler litter is placed directly ...

Use of byproducts in ruminant diets can decrease production costs and increase total production. Chemical and physical characteristics of byproduct feedstuffs and animal nutrient requirements determine most appropriate means of use. Broiler litter is high in ruminally degraded crude protein and moderate to low in available energy concentration; therefore, most efficient use is as a crude protei...

The application of broiler manure and bedding (litter) on land has been a long-used disposal method that benefits plant and soil. For proper manure management, factors such as nutrient content, house cleaning management, application methods, and many land, crop, and climatic factors must be considered. A study was undertaken to characterize broiler cake and broiler litter as the by-products of ...

Organic farming has been on an upward trend in recent years. However, the manures used like broiler litter have variable nutrient content, making it important to establish optimal application rate, for maximum crop yield and quality. Additionally, some states like Alabama restricts the amount of broiler litter to control excessive nutrients accumulation which can lead to surface and ground wate...

Residues from cereal grain production are important feedstuffs for ruminants throughout the world. They are, however, low in protein and high in fiber, which limit feed intake and digestibility. The nutritive value of cereal crop residues can be improved by various processing methods, such as treatment with alkalis like sodium hydroxide or ammonia. Another means of improving nutritive value of ...

Surface broadcast of broiler litter to no-till row crops exposes the litter and its nutrients to risks of loss in runoff water and volatilization and may limit the potential benefit of litter to the crops. Subsurface banding of litter could alleviate these risks. A field study was conducted in 2008 and 2009 on an upland Falkner silt loam soil to determine the effect of broiler litter placement ...