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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #402698
Research Project: Developing Best Management Practices for Poultry Litter to Improve Agronomic Value and Reduce Air, Soil and Water Pollution

Location: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research

Title: Treating poultry litter with aluminum sulfate (Alum)

Author
item Moore Jr, Philip

Submitted to: Popular Publication
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/2/2024
Publication Date: 12/1/2024
Citation: Moore Jr, P.A. 2024. Treating poultry litter with aluminum sulfate (Alum). Popular Publication. SERA-17 Website (https://sera17.wordpress.ncsu.edu/)

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Aluminum sulfate (alum) is added to poultry litter in the poultry house to reduce soluble phosphorus. Poultry litter contains high concentrations of water soluble phosphorus. Research has shown that phosphorus runoff is closely related to the soluble phosphorus content of manure. Alum additions to poultry litter reduce soluble phosphorus into forms that are much less water soluble. This greatly reduces phosphorus runoff from fields fertilized with poultry litter, as well as phosphorus leaching. Alum additions also reduce ammonia emissions from poultry litter. Lower ammonia levels in poultry houses result in heavier birds, better feed conversion, lower condemnation, and lower mortality. Lower ammonia levels result in lower ventilation requirements, which results in much less propane being used for heating during cooler months. Lower propane use results in significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions from poultry houses. Alum additions also reduce the number of pathogens in litter. Alum should be applied to poultry litter at a rate equivalent to 5-10 percent by weight (alum/manure). For typical broiler operations growing 6-week-old birds, this is equivalent to adding 0.1 to 0.2 pound alum per bird, or 1-2 tons of alum per house per flock if 20,000 birds are in each house. Aluminum from alum reacts with inorganic and organic phosphorus to form insoluble aluminum phosphate compounds that are far less susceptible to runoff or leaching. The reduction in ammonia emissions is due to the acid produced when alum is added to the litter. This acid converts ammonia to ammonium, which is not subject to volatilization. The reduction in litter pH also causes pathogen numbers to decrease.