October 4, 2006

 

US university launches project to cut litter in poultry houses

 

 

A US project that promises to cut poultry waste by 80 percent and reduce ammonia emission while letting chickens live in air-conditioned comfort was unveiled Monday (Oct 2) at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).

 

The method to remove moisture from chicken excrement was developed by a Salisbury engineering firm and it is currently in the process of retrofitting poultry houses for the project.

 

The Environmental Poultry House at the university's agricultural division farm was unveiled by officials who hailed the AviHome LLC technology as a revolutionary step toward improving conditions for birds and workers.

 

The US$3.3 million project received a US$500,000 USDA award, the second-largest among 62 USDA grants nationwide for rural business enterprise projects.

 

The poultry ventilation system is the first its kind in the US, although other moisture-reduction methods have been tried in Europe, said Jeannine Harter-Dennis, a UMES professor of Poultry Science overseeing the project.

 

Studies would be conducted to measure the impact of moisture and carbon dioxide reduction on bird diseases such as salmonella.

 

The 18-chamber house would be air conditioned through an efficient refrigerator system using just a tenth of the energy used in a standard air conditioning unit, officials said.

 

The technology would serve as an example for growers worldwide and protect the region's poultry industry against vulnerability to diseases, officials added. 

 

The Avihome would not be using woodchips or sawdust to blend with damp feces as is done in most farms. Instead, there would be smooth flooring made from a ventilated plastic covering that dries manure droppings and reduce nitrogen-producing uric acid, which emits ammonia.

 

Since ammonia can cause respiratory sicknesses, reduced levels in poultry houses, protects the health of workers and birds, Harter-Dennis said. The researchers believe the technology would cut the volume of chicken house waste by 80 percent.