Chook Me!

Does using poultry litter for fertilizer or fuel completely (100%) eliminate groundwater pollution on farms?

I am talking large scale poultry farms (broiler, egg, etc). There has been a lot of talk about recycling litter for fertilizer or turning it to methane for fuel. Do either of these methods reduced watershet (and subsequently) groundwater pollution by 100%? Why not?

Public Comments

1. No, of course not! Animal fecal matter has the same poisons in them that commercial fertilizer has. Its just the quantity and method of application that makes some more dangerous than others. If you took chicken, cow or any other fecal matter and dumped it in a river, lake, well or deep hole, you would poison just as many people as the commercially sold stuff.
2. Poultry litter has been a major source of fertilizer for several years now. It is also being used as a protein supplement in cattle feed. Utilizing chicken litter as a fuel source is fairly new and showing a lot of promise. All of these things will help reduce groundwater pollution, but 100%, no. I don't think it will even come close, nor could you really expect it to.
3. Repeated over-applications of poultry litter raises the phosphorus level in the soil, often times to the point of allowing it to leach into groundwater.