Poultry Litter/Mortality In-Vessel Composting Demonstration
at the

National Poultry Waste
Management Conference

University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
October 19-21, 1998

A portable in-vessel composter measuring 4 ft. diameter and 8 ft. long was transported to the University of Arkansas Poultry Research Farm, Savoy Unit, near Fayetteville, Arkansas and loaded on October 14, 1998.  The following ingredients were loaded:
 
 

Item
Amount
Fresh litter
34 ft3
Dry litter cake
  9 ft3
Carcasses (averaging 2.75 lbs. ea)
68 

Fifty-two of the broiler carcasses were shredded using a portable miniature tub grinder, while the remaining 16 were placed inside the composter whole.  The unit was allowed to rotate at four revolutions per hour until the time of downloading on October 21.  The compost contained 36% moisture and composting temperatures reached 130oF 18 hours after loading.  Temperatures exceeded 140oF prior to the time of downloading.  Whole carcasses had disappeared after 24-36 hours.

Nutrient analysis of the completed compost:
 
 

Parameter
As is Basis
Dry Wt. Basis
Moisture (%)
31.5
0.0
pH
6.8
6.8
Total N (%)
2.41
3.51
NH4-N (ppm)
2260
3300
NO3-N (ppm)
9
13
P (%)
0.58
0.84