On-farm composting of offal in organic poultry production
| Personnel: | Carol Miles Andy Bary |
| Cooperators: | Karen Gilbert, Middle Farm, Lopez Island, WA |
| Keywords: | on-farm,composting,offal, organic,poultry,livestock,website,education,soil quality |
| Abstract: | Small scale poultry production can be more profitable if the disposal of slaughter waste (offal, feet, heads and feathers) can be managed economically in a safe and sustainable manner. Composting has been used for disposal of chicken mortalities across the nation. In this study at a farm on Lopez Island, WA, an additional consideration was the expense of bringing in off-island composting materials. The trial examined use of local materials (roadside wood chippings, paper waste, and used straw chicken bedding) in place of wood shavings (saw waste obtained from off-island mills) to make up the volume of the compost. Trial results indicated that composting can be used successfully for managing chicken offal, and the cost is significantly less if appropriate bulking agents from on-island and on-farm sources are used. An additional observation noted a 97% reduction of coliform bacteria and generic E. coli as a result of the composting process. |
| Project description: | In 1999 we conducted an on-farm trial to develop a successful composting process using poultry offal, in cooperation with Karen Gilbert of Middle Farm, Lopez Island, Washington. Two composting bins 4 ft. wide x 8 ft. long x 5 ft. high were constructed side by side, one for each of the two compost mixtures. The method used was static piles with passive aeration provided by 4-5 inch diameter black plastic pipe with pre-drilled holes 8 inches apart on 2 sides of the pipe in the center of each bin. Approximately 2000 chickens were slaughtered during the trial, and all offal was added to the compost bins. Final mixture of the on-island compost had a carbon:nitrogen ratio of 22 and solids content of 50%. The final mixture of off-island compost had a carbon:nitrogen ratio of 19 and solids content of 60%. Active composting requires temperatures between 110o and 150oF. Pathogen destruction occurs if temperatures are greater than 131oF for at least 3 days. In this study, temperatures were above 131oF for no less than 7 days at a time, and for up to 30 days in both compost bins. The raw offal contained 62,000 E. coli organisms/gram and after composting, it was reduced by 97% to 0-63 E. coli organisms/gram. |
| Outputs: | Project report http://vegetables.wsu.edu/PoultryOffal.pdf |
| Impact: | |
| Institution: | WSU |
| State: | WA |