Fowl Fertilizer has Economic and Environmental Benefits

Poultry farm production in eastern West Virginia has tripled in the past 20 years. Enormous amounts of manure is produced annually—more manure than can be safely applied to nearby fields. This excess animal waste has the potential to degrade water quality, especially in the Chesapeake Bay. A transfer program helps to reduce excess nutrients in the area, protect water quality, and bolster the economic strength of West Virginia poultry industry.

Some of this excess nutrient-rich waste is being used to fertilize fields in other parts of West Virginia. Poultry litter, a manure and bedding mixture, is becoming a valuable by-product. Poultry litter is dryer, has higher concentrations of nutrients, and is easier to transport than manure from larger animals.

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA), and farmers are working together to reduce the surplus of manure in the eastern part of the state (Pendleton, Grant, Hardy, Hampshire and Mineral Counties) by transporting it to eligible areas of West Virginia outside of the Chesapeake Bay drainage area.

NRCS pays most of the hauling cost through the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program. “The AMA program promotes distributions of litter to areas of the state where nutrients for forage are needed. This allows a better distribution of the nutrients and encourages long-term marketing opportunities” said Rick Heaslip, WV NRCS State Resource Conservationist. "The idea is to create a self sustaining entrepreneur opportunity. The additional nutrients improve livestock forage and improve economic returns in central and northern West Virginia.”

The nutrient content of poultry litter varies. Fertilizer value depends on the type of birds, age of the litter, and litter moisture content. WVCA posts quarterly average analysis at http://www.wvca.us/litter/. WVCA also maintains and posts a list of producers and truckers and bio-security information on the website.

Proper timing of litter application is essential for efficient use of nutrients and pollution prevention. Litter is now being spread on forage fields. If not spread on land within 3 days of delivery, stored litter must be covered to protect it from precipitation.

NRCS also designs Manure storage facilities to allow WV farmers to spread the 160,000+ tons of poultry litter generated annually when conditions are right for nutrient use by crops.

For more information about the Manure Transfer/Nutrient Management Practice AMA program, see http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ama/05_AMA/Practices/05_manureTrans.pdf or contact your local USDA Service Center, listed in the telephone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture, or your local conservation district.

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