Poultry production is improved by treating poultry manure in the growing location with alum in an amount of from about 0.75 to about 1.5 tons of alum per 10000 birds raised, or at least 0.15 to about 0.25 pounds of alum per bird raised. Poultry manure treatment with alum improves weight gain and feed conversion and decreases mortality for birds grown on treated manure as compared with birds grown on untreated manure. The alum-treated manure may also be used as an agricultural fertilizer. When used as agricultural fertilizer in agricultural runoff water studies, plots fertilized with alum-treated manure exhibit decreased concentrations of phosphorus and heavy metals such as arsenic, copper, iron and zinc as compared with plots fertilized with untreated, normal poultry manure.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a Continuation-in-part of commonly-assigned prior application Ser. No. 08/437,991, filed May 10, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,697, which is a Division of application Ser. No. 05/129,742, filed Sep. 30, 1993, now abandoned.
Animal enclosures such as poultry houses generate high amounts of ammonia that adversely affect weight gain and mortality or the animals, particularly among young chicks. The addition of a deliquescent salt, such as calcium chloride, to alum to treat animal waste products rapidly activates the alum to remove ammonia from the atmosphere. The ammonia sulfate by-product is useful as a nitrogen fertilizer.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a method of producing novel phosphate and potash (PK) containing compound fertilizers in the form of powders showing good handle-ability by which method the phosphate components contained in an incinerated ash residue of chicken droppings is improved in solubility and thus rendered effective or available and, at the same time, the free CaO-derived alkali is neutralized, as well as such novel phosphate and potash(PK) containing compound fertilizers. The above object can be accomplished by adding an alkaline earth metal compound to the powdery incinerated ash residue of chicken droppings, adding a mineral acid to the resulting mixture, allowing the reaction to proceed and raising the reaction system temperature by utilizing the heat of reaction of the powdery alkaline earth metal compound with the mineral acid to thereby promote the reaction between the free CaO contained in the incinerated ash residue of chicken droppings and so forth with the mineral acid and convert the phosphate components to citric acid-soluble P.sub.2O.sub.5 and, at the same time, maintaining the product neutral or weakly acidic.
The subject invention is related to a method for removing bio-available phosphorus from animal waste and soil using an industrial byproduct from a metal manufacturing process. The byproduct is used to treat organic waste, such as animal waste and poultry litter, and immobilize bio-available phosphorus present in them. The byproduct is also used to treat organic waste to produce fertilizers, which are used to amend the soil and control the level of phosphorous present in the soil. The disclosed method strikes a balance between providing enough nutrients to the soil to grow crops, while preventing loss of phosphorous to surface water.
Lipids, such as plant oils and animal fats, are effective for treatment of animal wastes to inhibit both the emission of ammonia and other odors, and the discharge of particulate matter, microorganisms, and endotoxins, therefrom. Inhibition of ammonia volatilization and particulate or microbial discharge is effected by application of an effective amount of a lipid containing composition onto the animal wastes. Moreover, when used in combination with solutions of salts of acidic proton donors such as aluminum chloride, aluminum nitrate, and alum, these lipids significantly improve the effectiveness of the proton donors to inhibit the release of ammonia and reduce phosphorous solubility.
An animal bedding material that includes a layer of substantially dry ground drywall and a layer of a substantially absorbent litter material. The ground drywall layer has a concentration of greater than 10 g/ft.sup.2 and includes ground gypsum and ground paper backing. The ground drywall constituent of the bedding material helps control odor, acts as a moisture barrier, and provides a "lift" to the waste saturated litter material, which reduces compaction and extends the useful life of the bedding material.
