How Much Chicken Litter Per Acre for Fertilizer?

Poultry Litter as Fertilizer

Poultry litter is commonly used as a fertilizer on pastures and hayfields in North Georgia. As the poultry industry expands to South Georgia, more litter will be available and its use in this region is expected to increase. Poultry litter is a good source of many nutrients. In fact, it’s a lot like full fertilizer because it has primary nutrients, secondary nutrients, and micronutrients (Table 1). The fertilizer equivalent is typically about 3-2-2 (N-P2O5-K2O); however, the actual nutrient content depends on the type of bird, what the birds are fed, the number of growouts before the house is cleaned out, the feed efficiency, and how the litter is stored and handled. More information on nutrient variability in poultry litter can be found in “Maximizing Poultry Manure Use through Nutrient Management Planning” listed in the Further Information section.

Table 1. Average nutrient content of various types of poultry litter.
Constituent	Broiler Litter	Broiler Stockpiled	Broiler Cake
		lbs/ton
Nitrogen	63	55	47
P2O5	55	57	59
K2O	47	47	46
Calcium	43	36	54
Magnesium	9	10	81
Sulfur	15	12	91
ppm
Manganese	334	362	340
Copper	319	313	366
Zinc	265	286	272
Data from the Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratory, University of Georgia.

Not all of the nutrients in poultry litter are immediately available for plants to use. Approximately 289 percent of the nitrogen in poultry litter is in the form of an organic compound. Additionally, the litter contains a small amount of nitrate (20 percent) and ammonium (about 20 percent). The inorganic nitrogen (ammonium and nitrate) can be immediately used by plants. Organic nitrogen can’t help plants grow until microorganisms in the soil change it into ammonium or nitrate. Because this is a biological process, the rate of conversion depends on soil moisture and temperature. The change happens slowly over time, with the most nitrogen being released soon after application if the soil is right. e. moist and warm (above 50ºF). If conditions are extremely dry or cold, little or no nitrogen may be released. One benefit of using chicken litter on pastures is that the slow change of organic nitrogen to inorganic nitrogen makes it easier for plants to get enough nitrogen throughout the growing season.

Because there is ammonium in poultry litter, some of the nitrogen can be lost to the atmosphere after the poultry litter is applied. This process is called volatilization. Hot, dry and windy conditions favor the loss of ammonium through volatilization. If poultry litter is applied during extended hot, dry and windy conditions, almost all the ammonium form of nitrogen in the litter can be lost. Application of poultry litter before rain can help incorporate ammonium into the soil as the water infiltrates. However, litter application before large storms can cause a substantial loss of nutrients in surface runoff.

Nitrogen can also be lost through leaching. The nitrate form of nitrogen is mobile in the soil and can move below the root zone, particularly during the winter months when some forages are dormant and rainfall is high.

Due to these processes, only about 50 percent of the nitrogen in a ton of poultry litter is available for plants to use during the growing season when it is applied. Most of the nitrogen not taken up by forages in the first season is either lost to the environment or stabilized as soil organic matter. Very little “carryover” of nitrogen from poultry litter can be expected the second year after application.

Poultry litter is a good source of phosphorus, which is beneficial when soils are low in phosphorus, but can present environmental problems if the soil is already high in phosphorus. Most of the phosphorus will be available during the growing season when it is applied.

Since grasses normally require three or four times more nitrogen than phosphorus, and poultry litter contains almost equal amounts of both, using poultry litter to meet the nitrogen needs of the forage will cause an over-application of phosphorus. Phosphorus can quickly accumulate to high levels with overapplication (Figure 1). Phosphorus buildup is slower on hayfields where hay is being removed, than in pastures where it is returned to the soil in manure and urine (Figure 2). Research has shown 80 percent of phosphorus consumed by cattle in grass is returned to the pasture. High rates of poultry litter application and greater stocking rates can quickly increase the amount of phosphorus in the soil.

High phosphorus levels in the soil have been directly linked to water quality problems; consequently, use poultry litter carefully to supply the nutrient needs of the forage without creating environmental problems. Many farmers are using nutrient management plans to help them achieve these goals. Extensive information about nutrient management plans is available at the AWARE website (see Further Information section).

Soil testing should be conducted annually to monitor for phosphorus buildup in the soil. If soil test phosphorus from your soil test report is in the high to very high category, your local county agent should help determine the P Risk Index for your fields. The P Risk Index will indicate if the phosphorus levels in the soil and your management practices create a significant risk to nearby surface waters.

There are two common management alternatives to reduce risk. One option is to alternate the use of poultry litter with commercial fertilizer source of nitrogen. Another option is to apply poultry litter to meet the phosphorus needs of forage and to use commercial fertilizer to meet the nitrogen requirement. These practices can help reduce the water quality impacts of excess phosphorus in the soil. (See AWARE website in Further Information section).

Poultry litter is also a valuable source of potassium. Nearly 100 percent of the potassium in poultry litter will be available during the growing season when it is applied. Whether the amount of potassium available in poultry litter is adequate for your forage crop will depend upon the potassium level in the soil, the particular forage, whether the field is grazed or hayed, and, if grazed, the stocking rate.

Poultry litter is also a source of secondary nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and sulfur as well as micronutrients such as copper and zinc. Studies have shown increased levels of copper, manganese, and zinc in the soils where poultry litter has been used for four to five years. Similar to phosphorus, copper and zinc can have detrimental effects if overapplied. Studies on metal uptake on various crops and forages, generally show low levels of metals in the forages even at high poultry litter application rates. Data from northwest Georgia indicated copper and zinc levels in bermudagrass hay after four years of poultry litter application (4 tons/acre) were within the recommended range for cattle nutrition.

Poultry litter can also contain other elements such as arsenic. In some parts of the country, arsenic is used in the poultry feed to help control internal parasites. Arsenic is usually toxic to plants before it reaches levels in the plant that would create a health problem for animals. Discussions of arsenic in poultry litter can be found in the references (see Further Information section).

Soil pH is considered a master variable because it is so important in controlling the availability of nutrients in the soil for plants to use. Most grasses have optimum yield and quality at a soil pH of 6.0. Since calcium carbonate (lime) is used in the feed rations of poultry, the litter can serve as a dilute liming material (about 1/10 strength of most agricultural limestones). Consequently, the use of poultry litter can help maintain soil pH and reduce the frequency of lime applications.

In the soils of northwest Georgia, poultry litter at the recommended application rate (4 tons/ac) for bermudagrass hay maintained soil pH at 5.76 after five years compared to 5.42 in the unfertilized plots and 5.18 in the plots receiving ammonium nitrate fertilizer. In northeast Georgia, the soil pH in hayfields receiving poultry litter for five years was 6.6 compared to 6.0 in a hayfield fertilized with inorganic fertilizer and limestone. Similar effects are likely in the sandy soils of South Georgia.

Although poultry litter can help reduce soil acidity, lime will likely still be needed. Because magnesium is generally lower in poultry litter than calcium, a dolomitic lime may be needed to supply this nutrient. Use your soil test results to determine the lime needed and whether dolomitic lime should be used.

In general, forage yields with poultry litter are comparable to those with commercial fertilizer, assuming the poultry litter is applied at an equivalent nitrogen rate. In a grazing situation, you may be able to use a lower equivalent nitrogen application rate when using poultry litter as compared to inorganic fertilizer. In northeast Georgia, grazed bermudagrass pastures fertilized with poultry litter had the same productivity as those receiving inorganic fertilizer, although the poultry litter supplied about 30 percent less nitrogen (138 lbs/ac) than the inorganic fertilizer (200 lbs/ac). In a hayfield situation, the lower nitrogen application rate with poultry litter led to a 22 percent reduction in yield.

The use of poultry litter can affect forage growth patterns and mix of plant species that occur in the pasture. Tall fescue fertilized with poultry litter tends to have slightly higher growth in the summer and slightly lower growth in the spring and fall than fescue fertilized with spring and fall inorganic fertilizer applications. This is probably due to the slow release of nutrients over the growing season.

Several studies report that poultry litter use reduces the amount of clovers in mixed clover/fescue associations. This may be an important consideration for producers managing fescue toxicosis by dilution with clovers. The plant composition of bermudagrass pastures can also be altered by the use of poultry litter. After five years of poultry litter application, bermudagrass hayfields fertilized with poultry litter had a higher proportion of annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. This weed increase was not seen in the grazed bermudagrass pastures (Figure 3). Many producers report increases in weeds when using poultry litter. Studies indicate this is not due to weed seeds in the poultry litter but is due to the availability of nutrients over a longer period of time during the growing season. Many weed species germinate more readily when soil nutrient levels improve and compete well with forage species under these conditions.

Forage Quality and Animal Performance

Forage quality with poultry litter fertilization is generally similar to or better than that of commercial fertilizers though results will vary with the type of forage, management, and soils. A four-year study in northwest Georgia indicated that crude protein and total digestible nutrient content of bermudagrass hay fertilized with 4 tons/acre of poultry litter was similar to that fertilized with commercial fertilizer at a similar nitrogen fertilizer rate. The calcium, phosphorus, and potassium content of the poultry litter fertilized hay tended to be higher than the commercially fertilized hay. A West Virginia study in a mixed grass/clover pasture fertilized with poultry litter found increased crude protein and higher digestible nutrients as well as higher phosphorus and potassium contents than pasture fertilized with commercial fertilizer.

There are studies indicating forage grown with poultry litter may have higher sulfur content than comparable forage grown with commercial fertilizer. Because high sulfur content in forage can induce copper deficiency in cattle, producers should be aware of potentially higher sulfur content in forages fertilized with poultry litter. In Georgia, sulfur content of forage is assumed to be low because, in our high rainfall climate, sulfur tends to move rapidly through the soil profile. With the reports of high sulfur forages in the state, feeding a high copper mineral supplement (25,000 ppm) may be warranted in some cases to ensure cattle health.

Some studies also report lower magnesium contents in forage fertilized with poultry litter. Low magnesium concentrations relative to potassium can induce grass tetany. This is particularly common in nursing cows. There is anecdotal evidence of a higher occurrence of grass tetany with poultry litter use. Producers should feed magnesium supplements and monitor cattle intake regardless of whether or not poultry litter is applied to pastures to prevent this disease.

Cattle performance on pastures using poultry litter is typically good. In northeast Georgia, stocker cattle on tall fescue pastures fertilized with poultry litter had equivalent weight gain to those on fescue fertilized with inorganic fertilizer. However, seasonal weight gain was different. The cattle on pastures fertilized with inorganic fertilizer tended to have a greater weight gain in the autumn and winter. Cattle on poultry litter fertilized pastures tended to have higher weight gain in the summer (Figure 4). These seasonal differences in weight gain reflect the pattern of nutrient availability, weather conditions, and forage production. Fewer nutrients are released from poultry litter under cool conditions.

In a similar study, weight gain by stocker cattle on bermudagrass pastures fertilized with poultry litter was lower than on pastures with inorganic fertilizer. Again, the slow nutrient release of poultry litter and weather conditions were important factors in the animal’s performance. Nutrients released from poultry litter in late summer when conditions were hot and moist allowed better bermudagrass growth in the late summer (Figure 5).

Determining Economic Value of Poultry Litter

FAQ

How many tons per acre of chicken litter?

A typical litter application is 2 tons per acre. Yet, Griggs has found success in spreading it at a 1. 5 ton per acre rate, and he does not recommend going lower than that.

Is chicken litter better than commercial fertilizer?

Forage quality with poultry litter fertilization is generally similar to or better than that of commercial fertilizers though results will vary with the type ….

How much chicken manure to add to soil per acre?

It should be mixed with the soil at least 1 week before planting when applied at the rate of 5 tons per acre (23 pounds per 100 square feet) or less and 2 weeks for greater amounts. Generally, 3 to 10 tons manure per acre of garden area is recommended.

How much is chicken litter worth per ton?

… for Urea ($0. 98/lb N), $834/ton for DAP ($0. 52/lb P2O5) and $800/ton for potash ($0. 67/lb K2O), the average expected value of broiler litter is $80/tonMar 31, 2022.

How much does chicken litter cost?

The answer depends on logistics and your soil needs. In his region, Griggs said litter costs $27 to $37 per ton. Then, it costs around $16 per ton to haul it, plus $8 to $12 per ton to spread it. That comes to a total of $51 to $65 per ton of chicken litter. Related: How to access all-inclusive fertilizer recommendations.

How much nitrogen does litter provide per acre?

If a producer applies 1 ton of litter per acre using a broadcast spinner spreader, the litter will provide 28. 9 pounds of plant available nitrogen per acre for the receiving crop. NCDA&CS’s Agronomic Division includes the plant available nutrients for the first crop on its waste report.

How much P & K is available in poultry litter?

Few studies have been done on P and K availability in poultry litter; however, availability is considered to be about 80-100 % of P and K available in commercial fertilizer. In general, 90% availability is assumed when determining an application rate based on P. Land application rates should be based on the nutrient requirement of the crop.

How long does chicken litter take to reach full nutrient availability?

Prepare to wait for full nutrient availability. Results with chicken litter are not instant. Litter is organic, and it takes time for nutrients to be broken down and available. Griggs said it typically takes around three years for full nutrient availability in the soil.

What is the nutrient value of litter in a poultry house?

The nutrient value of litter varies greatly by its location in the poultry house. To reduce sample variability, collect subsamples of litter from 10 to 12 areas of the house. The samples you take around feeders, waterers, and brooders should be in proportion to the space they take up in the house.

What is the nutrient composition of poultry litter?

The nutrient composition of poultry litter varies, depending on the type and life stage of bird, feed ration, proportion of bedding to droppings, manure handling system, and type of litter (cake versus whole house). Consequently, all litters should be sampled and analyzed to determine the actual nutrient content before you apply them to the land.