Stacking Effects On Nitrogen Fractions in Broiler Litter with and without Alum.

Broiler litter is a mixture of chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) excreta and bedding material that is removed from broiler houses after one or more batches of birds are raised.  A common practice is to stack the broiler litter for 4 to 8 weeks as producers wait for convenient times for land application.  Another common practice is to add aluminum sulfate (alum) to the litter to reduce ammonia volatilization and runoff losses of P.  Information is currently limited on changes in N fractions during stacking of broiler litter with and without alum.  Treatments in this study included 1) litter without amendment, and 2) litter amended with 20% alum arranged in a randomized complete block with four replications. Broiler litter was stacked in wooden bins (1.2 x 1.2 x 1.2 m) to a height of 1.1 m and sampled at 0, 14, 28, 57, 84, and 112 days for analysis of pH, inorganic N, urea, and uric acid. During the study, pH of samples remained between 8.2 and 8.7 for broiler litter without alum, and between 3.9 and 4.3 for broiler litter mixed with alum. Uric acid decreased by 40% by day 112.