Lower Cost Poultry Litter Storage Innovations

by Blake Garner, Alabama Mountains, Rivers and Valleys RC&D Project Manager, Decatur, AL

Many of north Alabama’s streams are currently on the Environmental Protection Agency’s 303(d) list of impaired streams, due in part to the concentration of poultry operations in this region. In an effort to improve water quality, regulations by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and Alabama Agriculture and Industries do not allow outside uncovered storage of litter. This means temporary storage of litter is necessary. Litter may not be land applied, or spread, between November 15th and February 15th. Chickens, however, continue to produce litter on poultry operations during this timeframe. Litter may also not be land applied 72 hours prior to the threat of a considerable amount of rainfall. The farmer’s benefit of properly storing litter prior to land application is to maintain its nutritive value and to protect the environment.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has designs for storing poultry litter. Traditionally, these litter storage buildings are well designed and sturdy. However, these may be cost prohibitive for some producers which may result in non-compliance. To address this concern the Alabama Mountains, Rivers and Valleys (AMRV) Resource Conservation and Development applied for, and was granted, an NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant for Low Cost Temporary Chicken Litter Storage. All the demonstrations in this forum fell in the range of $4 to $6 per square foot, whereas the standard NRCS drystack ranges from $6 to $8 per square foot, and even in some instances as high as $10 per square foot. The AMRV RC&D pursued the following options for the temporary litter storage:

To test an outside storage method, in 2005, Auburn used 18 piles with 300 pounds of dry poultry litter in each pile. These piles were treated as follows; one pile covered with plastic, one pile covered with “Hay Guard,” four uncovered piles, four uncovered piles that were cone shaped, four piles sprayed with a latex polymer, and four control piles with no litter. The results came back that the best way to store litter is out of the elements. Also, unprotected litter in rainfall equals bad runoff!

What we have learned:

• Low cost alternatives are durable and available.
• Non-engineered buildings are good for field storage but generally not insurable.
• Sturdy dependable litter storage buildings on receiving farms promote timely and environmentally sound utilization of poultry litter. Also, promotes land application in areas that need the nutrients.
• Stored litter in the open, under covers, plastic, and sprayed polymers are time consuming and generally ineffective.

Through this project we have established 48 examples of lower cost storage alternatives across a 15 county area. Our “Addison Steel Truss” was by far the most cost effective and popular and is now being adopted by NRCS for traditional EQIP funding in Alabama.

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