Poultry waste helpful when used properly

MISSOURI - Raising poultry is not widespread in Barton County, but poultry manure is spreading over several crop fields.

Using poultry litter, which includes bedding and manure, was talked about at the Barton County Soils and Crops Conference held recently in Lamar.

Marty Bunton of Liberal talked about his work as an agent and broker to get poultry wastes to area fields from Premier Farms, which is part of Moark operations at Neosho.

Bunton said using poultry waste as a fertilizer is an excellent way to recycle nutrients. The circle can begin with grain farmers who sell grain to feed poultry.

Some nutrients in the grain pass through birds and can be hauled to farms to be used as a natural fertilizer on grain crops.

Bunton said Moark takes extra steps to properly handle manure from the time it leaves birds through spreading it on fields. Monitors in spreader trucks note location and amounts of nutrients applied at a specific date.

Samples of litter are tested and the price is based on nutrient levels, he said. The cost has averaged $17 to $18 a ton for the material, hauling and spreading, Bunton said. Application amounts are based on phosphorus needs.

Bunton estimated the cost at 60 to 70 percent of that for commercial fertilizer with similar nutrients. A ton of the manure Bunton works with normally has 22 pounds of ammonia nitrate, 20 pounds organic nitrogen, 43 pounds phosphorus and 45 pounds potassium.

Source: The Joplin Globe