Poultry

Model 400 w/standard 3 Pt. Hitch & 3940 Saw-tooth Paddle Aerator, Composting Poultry Manure

Broilers

TennesseeValley RC & D – Decatur, Alabama

The Tennessee Valley RC&D utilized a US EPA grant to purchase four Brown Bear HYDPTO24-7' compost aerators for installation on small farm tractors which will be loaned out to Broiler Growers in a four country area around Decatuar, AL.  The local Soil and Water Conservation Districts will administer the loan out program.  The growers raise broilers for four major Integrators in the area.  Since broiler litter is a significant problem in land application due to high residual phosphorus levels in the local soils, a result of years of land application, the RC&D is looking at alternate methods to handle the litter.  Using the Brown Bear attachment provides three major benefits which allow the litter to be reused again and again: sterilization of the litter through the composting process, decaking of the litter, and volatilization of the ammonia. 

Layers

Heisler’s Egg Farm Inc. – Tamaqua, Pennsylvania

For the first time in its 40 years of operation, Heisler’s Egg Farm Inc., Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, has no fly problem.  “After running the aerator through the accumulating manure about three times a week, we have reduced insect populations by better than 95%,” states Todd Heisler.  “When we’ve had the time to complete four or five cycles a week, we’ve reduced insect populations by better than 99%.  Each turnover thoroughly mixes new manure with that already aerated.  Heat builds, killing larvae, pathogens, and other undesirable pests.  Oxygen penetrates all portions of the manure windrows, facilitating the desired natural low-odor aerobic digestion.”  The compost which now results has proven to be a much better soil additive than the non-aerated manure previously produced.  It is far more granular, easier to field-apply and, according to Jay Heisler, “consistently increases yields of the crops we use it on – corn, oats, and alfalfa hay.”

As to costs, reduction of insecticide applications, by itself, has paid for the $12,500 auger attachment in a year.  The farm uses their single skid loader to handle the Brown Bear aerator, a light-material bucket, an excavating bucket, and a set of forks for handling palletized boxes.  Changeover between each front-end device takes a single operator less than 5 minutes.  The benefits of using the Brown Bear aerator are abundant.  “In addition to improving our working conditions, saving money and ending our fly problem, the Brown Bear auger sure helped improve our public relations,” Todd Heisler concludes.

Baer Brothers Egg - Lake Park, Minnesota

Baer Brothers Egg at Lake Park, Minnesota implemented composting in order to achieve fly and odor control after years of complaints by neighbors.  Their composting program eliminated the possibility of regulatory action by county and state agencies, and won them a Minnesota State Agriculture Environmental Achievement award.

Baer Bros. composts the manure from approximately 800,000 layers housed in  natural convection high rise houses.  The manure is removed weekly, inside the fly hatch cycle, and mixed with a variety of locally available carbon sources next to the high rise houses on concrete pads.  The manure is turned here about two to three times the first week to kill the fly larvae.  "The fly larvae crawl out to the outside of the windrow to avoid the 150 degree heat and then we turn the row to mix them back into the heat and kill them.  We do this about one week, then we move the compost to our clay pad for final composting", states Amon Baer, President.   On the clay pad the windrows are aerated weekly and composting continues for about 90 days.  Fresh manure is continually added for moisture and to increase the nutrient value of the compost, until the carbon is completely consumed.  The final product is fly, odor and pathogen free and is certified as "Organic Fertilizer.”  The product is sold to local golf courses, organic dairy farms and farmers at the current values for N, P, and K which is about $38.00 per ton.

Mortality composting is also a part of the program.  In an isolated windrow that is achieving good temperatures of 140-150 degrees, the top of the windrow is removed and the dead birds placed on the remaining base, after which they are recovered with the previously removed top.  Within three days the birds have totally disintegrated and the windrow is aerated with the Brown Bear unit.  Mortalities are added daily or as required.

 

Pullets

David Kneller Farms – Silver Lake, Indiana

Dave Kneller, a contract pullet grower for a large egg producer in northern Indiana, raises approximately 115,000 pullets per cycle (the typical cycle lasts 16-18 weeks). Prior to using Brown Bear composters, Dave spent 1-2 hours per day spraying for flies at an annual cost of $7,000-$8,000.  He noticed, however, that after a few months the flies became immune to the spray!  Dave even faced a lawsuit from unhappy neighbors that threatened to shut down his operation.  Then in November of 2002, Dave began using Brown Bear equipment, which solved his fly and odor problems.  Within a few months of operation, the lawsuit was dropped.  His neighbors have never been happier, and his integrator is very satisfied with the results. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management Regional inspector has also praised Dave's new method of manure handling. Since starting his under house composting, Dave has reduced the volume of material he removes at clean-out time by 50% and has 99% complete fly control. Dave notes the added benefits of using the Brown Bear composters: the spreadability of material, the lack of rodents living in the manure, and reduced labor costs. His labor time has gone from 1-2 hours per day to 15 min every third day.