In November 2011, I posted an article with the conclusion that broiler litter is an effective fertilizer for soybeans.  However, a concurrent conclusion was that the cost of purchasing, hauling, and spreading poultry litter may be too great for its practical consideration as a fertilizer when the application site is not close to the litter source.

Since the posting of the above article, a research article on the same subject published in the May 2013 issue of Agronomy Journal confirmed that poultry litter is a legitimate P and K alternative to commercial fertilizer for soybeans that are grown on soils that require P and K fertilization to realize maximum yield potential.  However, this article did not address the economics of using poultry litter as an alternative to commercial fertilizer for soybeans.

Since posting the above blog article, I have acquired estimated costs associated with using broiler litter as a fertilizer.  The results in the below table are based on those estimates and the following stipulations.

• 2-year-old fresh broiler litter (not stockpiled)–primarily wood shavings, with some sawdust or rice hulls;


• 25 tons per load that is delivered to the application site;


• $0.17/mile/ton hauling costs–100 or more miles; check with vendor for short-haul rates;


• 2 tons/acre spread on producer field.



 
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ITEM/ACTIVITY	COST
Removal of litter from broiler house	$10/ton
Loading on truck	$10/ton
Hauling to producer field	$0.17/mile/ton–100 or more miles
Spreading on producer field	$8/ton

Using the above figures for hauling 25 tons 100 miles and spreading 2 tons/acre on a site, the cost per acre will be:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• $10 + $10 + $8 = $28/ton x 2 tons/acre = $56/acre for material and spreading;


• $0.17/mile/ton x 100 miles  = $17/ton x 2 tons/acre = $34/acre for hauling;


• $56 + $34 = $90 total cost per acre for 2 tons/acre spread on site 100 miles from litter source.

The above figures can be used to estimate the feasibility of applying broiler litter in lieu of commercial fertilizer to crop production fields in Mississippi that are some distance from the site of the litter source.

Individual lots of broiler litter vary in their N-P-K contents.  The sources in the below table can be used as a guide to determine how much fertility to expect in each ton of litter.

 

 

 

Nutrient content of fresh broiler litter on an “as is” basis (no adjustment for moisture) from linked sources.
SOURCE	N-P2O5-K2O ANALYSIS (N-P-K); lb./ton
Oklahoma State Univ.	63-61-50 (63-27-42)
Oklahoma	62-63-54 (62-28-45); 67   samples
Miss. State Univ.–Chapter 7	70-42-76 (70-18-63)
Private Lab. Sample	69-76-57 (69-33-57)
Alabama Coop. Ext. Serv.	62-55-41 (62-24-34); 207   samples
Univ. Of Arkansas	62-69-60 (62-30-50); 297   samples

It is obvious from the above values that broiler litter will vary in nutrient composition. Therefore, vendors should furnish a nutrient analysis of the product they are delivering so the recipient knows exactly the amount of nutrients that is being received.

Broiler litter may contain significant amounts of Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Sulfur, and minute amounts of micronutrients.  Thus, some value can be attributed to these elements.  Also, there is the intangible value of adding this amount of organic material to the soil.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, Updated Nov. 2014, larryheatherly@bellsouth.net