Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-12-16
Preservation of Hen Manure.

| professor Raymond Pearl, In Poultry Notes
from Maine Experiment Station.)
One of the most valuable by-products
of any livestock Industry Is the manure.
Its proper care and use is one of the
distinguishing features of successful
stock farm. The high nitrogen content
of poultry droppings makes them in GER
tain respects the most valuable of farm
manures. At the same time this quality
necessitates special treatment TO pre-
serve the nitrogen and utilize 1t econom'
ically.
According to experiments carried on
at this Station some years ago the night
droppings average 30 pounds per hen
per year.
They contain s. pound of organic nj
trogen, IS pound of phosphoric acid and
.25 pound of potash. At the present
price of fertilizers this material would
be worth about 20 cents. No data are
available on the amount of day-voided
dung. Since the hens spend less than
one-half their time on the roosts, and
since more dung is voided while the
birds are exercising than when at roost,
the authors estimate that during year
probably 45 pounds of dung are voided
by each bird while off the roost. Allow
ing that more than one-half Of the fertil-
izing elements of the day dung are nee.
essarily lost, the value Of the total
droppings, If properly cared for, should
be at least 80 cents per bird per year.
The poultrymau or farmer who prop.
erly cares for the droppings can add q
neat further profit to his business. For
example, the droppings from 1000 birds,
if preserved without needless loss, will
be worth at least $500.
Poultry manure contains more nitro
gen than other farm manure, because In
birds the excretion of the kidneys is
voided in solid form (uric acid), with
the undigested portions of the food.
This form rs nitrogen is easily available
to plants. Unfortunately, however, 1t is
not stable. Putrifactive processes easily
change it to ammonia compounds, and
unless special care is taken OF the drop
pings one.thrd to one-half of the nitro
gen passes off as ammonia gas.
The mechanical condition OF poultry
manure is poor. As Storer says: ut Is
apt to be sticky when fresh, and lumpy
when dry. On this account, If used
untreated, it can only be success
fully applied to the land by hand,
as it does not work we'll in drills or
spreaders. Hen manure used alone is
very wasteful of nitrogen as it carries
this element in too large proportion
to its phosphorus and potassium.
In the experiment referred to above
the problem undertaken by Woods and
Bartlett was the determination of a
method of treatment of hen manure
which would first prevent the loss OF nj
trogen; second, add sufficient phosphor-
us and potassium in forms available for
plant food to make balanced fertilizer;
and third, 80 improve the mechanical
condition of the dung that 1t can be ap-
piled to the land with manure spread
or. Seven different methods of treat
ment were tested. The authors give
the following summary of results.
"By itself, hen dung is one-sided nj
trogenous fertilizer. As usually man
aged, one half or more of its nitrogen is
lost, so that as ordinarily used 1t does
not carry 80 great an excess of nitrogen.
Because of its excess of nitrogen 1t will
be much more economically used In con-
nection with manures carrying phos-
phoric acid and potash. As both acid
phosphate and kainit prevent the loss OF
nitrogen, it Is possible to use them In
connection with sawdust or some other
dry material as an absorbent (good dry
loan or peat will answer nicely 30 as to
make q we'll balanced fertilizer. For ex-
ample, a mixture of 30 pounds of hen
manure, 10 pounds Of sawdust, 10
pounds of acid phosphate, and 8 pounds
of kainit would carry about .25 per cent
nitrogen, As per cent phosphoric acid,
and per cent potash, which used at the
rate of 2 tons per acre, would furnish 80
pounds nitrogen, 1S5 pounds phosphoiic
acid, and so pounds potash"
At the present price Of fertilizing in
gradients this mixture is worth about
$40 90 per ton. 1t is we'll balanced,
stable fertilizer, which, while still not
fine enough to work we'll in drills, can
be successfully applied with manure
spreader.
The kind of absorbent used should be
the one which can be obtained at least
cost, since the amount of plant food add
ed by any of those suggested is negligi-
BILE, and since they are about equally ct.
fective as dryers (ths slight acidity of
peat gives 1t some advantage as it helps
a little to preserve the nitrogen). 1t is
probable that one OF the three can be
obtained by any poultryman or farmer
at little or no expense.
The absorbent and the acid phosphate
and kainit should be kept conveniently
at hand and each day when the drop.
pings are collected they should be treat
cd. 1t may be best to weigh the ingre-
dients few times, after which it will be
possible to make sufficiently close esti-
mates by measure.
The treated droppings should be well
sheltered until time to apply them to the
land, i. O., shortly before blowing. Any
form of shelter may be used. For
temporary plant, or for small farm, a
small wooden building or bin in
larger building will probably be the best
place practicable; but for large, perma-
nent poultry plant cement manure
shed or tank is advisable. A general
farmer also will find such an equip.
ment for the storage of all farm manure
a paying Investment. A portion OF this
shed can be partitioned off for hen ma
nure.
A properly constructed cement build
ing will not have to be constantly re-
paired aad frequently replaced like a
wooden structure, which rots out quick.
ly when used for the storage OF manure.
The cement building is water tight, pre-
venting the entrance Of water from with
out and the escape of any unabsorbed
liquid manure. 1t Is, In fact, perfect
permanent shelter.
At the late National Dairy Show was
exhibited q grade Guernsey COW that
won the prize as the greatest money
maker, so we are told. One of the
speakers said that this COW possessed the
capacity of making alfalfa hay, when
fed To her at the best of her milking pe-