Page 11 - Poultry Mortality Composting

Poultry composting can be accomplished by layering in either a bin or a windrow. The material is layered the same for both systems. Begin by placing a 300 mm (12 in) layer of carbon material such as dry poultry litter on the bottom, Figure 2 and 3.

Carcasses are placed on top of the base layer at least 230 mm (9 in) away from the edge of the base. Carcasses should not overlap. Too many carcasses in one spot leads to localized wet areas and poor composting.

After the carcasses are positioned, they are covered immediately with 150 mm (6 in) of carbon material. Layering of carcasses and carbon material continues until the pile is 1.2 – 1.8 m (4 – 6 ft) tall. Cover the pile with 600 mm (24 in) of carbon materials.

Figure 2. Composting bins built in layers

build and manage compost piles

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