AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF LAYER HENS MANURE AND LITTER

G. Kostadinova, D. Dermendzhieva, R. Stefanova

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to study and assess fresh manure, litter and stored manure (mix of manure and litter) from layer hens, reared in a building (570 m2, 5 hens/m2), with capacity of 2000 layer hens on deep litter-loose housing (a mixture of sawdust and shavings with a thickness of 8-10 cm) for a period of 10 months. Samples of all substrates were analyzed monthly on the base of total N, total P and total K content, as well as total number of microorganisms (TNMs) and coli-titer. It was found that:
a) the content of nutrients (N, P, K) and microorganisms in fresh manure, litter and stored manure varies as follow:
total N: 1.05 - 2.11% (25.4 -77.9 g/kg Dry Matter - DM), 1.65 - 3.36% (28.3 – 71.6 g/kg DM) and 0.92 - 1.50% (30.6 – 37.8 g/kg DM); total P: 0.26 - 0.67% (10.3 – 25.3 g/kg DM), 0.72 – 1.28% (12.9 – 24.1 g/kg DM) and 0.83% – 1.80% (27.7 – 48.4 g/kg DM); total K: 0.41% – 0.61% (11.1 – 26.9 g/kg DM), 0.56 – 1.00% (10.2 – 21.4 g/kg DM) and 0.18 – 0.67% (5.22 – 19.7 g/kg DM); TNMs: 4 000.103 – 150 000.103 CFU/g, 286.103 – 71 400.103 CFU/g and 625.103 – 81 100.103 CFU/g; Coli-titer: 0.0001 – 0.00001, 0.01 – 0.00001 и 0.001 – 0.00001;
b) the content of total N, total K and TNMs decreased similarly in the chain “fresh manure - litter - stored manure” as follow: total N - an average with 7.6% in the litter and on average with 40.5% in stored manure comparedthat in fresh manure; total K - with 25.2% and with 33.5%, respectively; TNMs - with 46.3% and with 74.3%; Colititer was higher of litter (170.5 times) and of stored manure (8.5 times) compared to that of the fresh manure;
c) the quantity of total P in fresh manure and litter retains similar levels, but increased by 47.0% in stored manure compared to fresh manure and with 46.4% in stored manure compared to the litter.

Keywords: assessment; coli-titer; hens; K; litter; manure; microorganisms; N; P

Date published: 2017-03-14