Research Article Open Access

Mid-Flock and Post-Harvest Spatial Characterization of Broiler Litter Gas Flux and Nutrients

Authors

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Dana M. Miles
USDA-ARS, Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research Unit, 810 Hwy 12 East, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
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John P. Brooks
USDA-ARS, Genetics and Sustainable Agriculture Research Unit, 810 Hwy 12 East, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
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Philip A. Moore Jr.
USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, PTSC, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
Published on: April 15, 2016
DOI 10.3923/ijps.2016.175.181
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Abstract

The purpose of this work was to quantify the spatial variability of litter surface gas flux of NH3, N2O and CO2 while making concurrent measurements of litter temperature and assessing litter moisture content, pH, total N and total C from laboratory analyses. Two U.S. commercial broiler houses were intensively sampled along a grid for litter properties and gas flux on a farm in Mississippi (humid subtropical climate) where the original bedding material was pine wood shavings. Before chicks were placed, the average gas flux from both houses was: 156 mg NH3/m2/h, 4.4 mg N2O/m2/h and 6440 mg CO2/m2/h. At mid-flock and after birds were harvested, pooled values from 44 locations resulted in: 260 mg NH3/m2/h, 13.1 mg N2O/m2/h and 13100 mg CO2/m2/h and 351 mg NH3/m2/h, 15.1 mg N2O/m2/h and 18400 mg CO2/m2/h, respectively. A greater degree of data variability resulted from measurements over time rather than between the houses. A good example is greater litter moisture near sidewalls during the post harvest measurement. All parameters were depicted as color contour plots; upper extremes for gas flux occurred between feeders and waterers. Tabular values cannot convey the complexity of litter surface characteristics and relationships. The efficacy of the data will be best derived by the user’s goal for improving bird productivity and management.

Keywords:

Ammonia, broiler, emissions, litter

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This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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How to Cite

Miles , D. M., Brooks, J. P., & Moore Jr., P. A. (2016). Mid-Flock and Post-Harvest Spatial Characterization of Broiler Litter Gas Flux and Nutrients. International Journal of Poultry Science, 15(5), 175–181. https://doi.org/10.3923/ijps.2016.175.181
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