A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program helped to cover the trip costs. The Center for Applied Poultry Research is studying ways to reduce ammonia emissions from poultry houses as well as seeking solutions to other issues in the poultry industry. The Center is funded 50 percent by tax dollars and 50 percent by direct assessments on producers. This provides a strong link between the producers and the research community. A major reason that the Center is conducting research to reduce ammonia emissions from poultry buildings is that government regulations are mandating a 70 percent reduction in ammonia emissions from livestock facilities.
Ammonia is formed when uric acid in poultry manure decomposes.
The best way to prevent this decomposition is to dry the manure to less than 40 percent moisture quickly and then further dry the manure to 20 percent moisture. A ventilated floor system was being evaluated for both broiler and turkey production. While the system was effective in reducing ammonia, it was not cost effective for broiler production. The work was ongoing, and there were indications that the system might be economical for turkey production. The Wierko company, an egg production operation is owned by Harry J. Wierik.