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Introduction | Benchmark Data Overview | Incineration Overview | Incineration Definitions | Rendering Overview| Rendering Definitions | Composting Overview | Composting Definitions | Burial Overview | Burial Definitions | Reports Overview | Resources
Features of the program
The Mortality Economic Analysis
(MEAN) program was created to assist producers in the mortality disposal
decision-making process. MEAN allows the user to input the production
information from their operation along with the costs of various utilities,
labour and equipment for each method. The costs of each method can be
summarized in report format individually and as a group. The program also
allows producers to estimate the size of the disposal problem in the event of
catastrophic mortality on their farm due to power or equipment failure or
disease. The program is designed to analyze the disposal problems of broiler
production, but can be customized for other poultry operations.
Getting Started
Once the program has been installed on
your system, begin by selecting the MEAN program from the start menu. Once
the program is open, the following screen will appear.
You will notice that at the top of the screen are eight separate tabs. Each tab relates specifically to one disposal method, with the exception of the benchmark data tab. The benchmark data tab is the first screen that you will see upon opening the program. The remainder of this chapter will address the features of the benchmark data screen. The following chapters will focus on the analysis of each method using the MEAN program.
Saving and Opening MEAN Files
MEAN will allow you to
save your mortality analysis files for later reference. All MEAN files
will be saved with .eca extensions. To save a file that you are working
on, simply select Save As from the File menu. The program will also prompt
you to save before you can exit the program. To open a file, first open
the MEAN program and select Open from the File menu. Find the file on your
computer and select open.
The benchmark data screen minimizes the amount of information that must be typed into the program. The costs and production parameters in the benchmark data tab are common to most or all of the methods. The following section describes each parameter in detail.
Operation Size
Total number of birds placed in the barns
at the beginning of a cycle.
Death Loss
Beneath the Operation Size information is the
mortality table. In the death loss column, enter the expected mortality
rate (%) for each week that your barns are populated. Do not enter
mortality rates for weeks that the barns are depopulated. For example, if
you market your birds at 6 weeks but you have an 8 week cycle, do not enter any
values for weeks 7 and 8 under the death loss column. The values entered
in this column will be used to estimate the amount (weight) of mortality
losses.
Target Weight
The program has default values for target
broiler weights up to week 7. Turkey, hatching egg and egg producers will
need to change these target weights so that the analysis is specific to their
operation. Broiler producers with different target weights than those given
should enter the target weights for their operation.
Income
Composting poultry mortality produces a valuable
end product. Compost can be used as a soil amendment or fertilizer.
It should be noted that the nutrient content of compost will vary depending on
the compost recipe used and the age of the compost. A study conducted by
the University of Maryland produced compost with roughly 2.2% nitrogen, 3.27%
phosphorous and 2.39% potash.1[1] Studies of Alabama dead poultry
composters found average fertilizer grades of finished compost of on a fresh
weight basis of 2.4-2.6-1.6 (48-52-32 pounds N-P2O5-K2O per ton)2[2].
Depending on the cost of these crop inputs, the value of the compost will
vary. The economic analysis of 20,000 and 80,000 bird operations presented
in Poultry Mortality Disposal in Alberta assumed a value of $31.00 per tonne of
compost.
Energy Costs
The cost of natural gas should be on a per
gigajoule basis. Electricity should be entered on a per kilowatt hour
basis. And finally, cost of propane should be entered on a per litre
basis.
Interest Rate
Current bank lending rate.
Amortization Period
This should be entered in
years.
Pick-Up Fee
This cost is specific to the rendering
option. It should be noted that currently Northern Alberta Processors does
not charge producers within a 50km radius of the plant for picking up
carcasses. MEAN will calculate the cost of disposal in the event that a
pick-up fee is charged.
Labour Cost
This cost should be entered on a per hour
basis at the going rate.
Quicklime
This cost is specific to the burial
option. It should be noted that quicklime is only required when a burial
pit is not immediately filled in. Burial pits that are not immediately
filled are required by Alberta disposal regulations to be fitted with a wooden
or metal cover. The quicklime is added to control flies and odor.
The burial guidelines in Poultry Mortality Disposal in Alberta indicate that
approximately 50 grams of quicklime should be added for each kilogram of
mortality.
# of birds lost (catastrophe)
Power loss, equipment
failure or disease outbreak can cause a sudden massive mortality disposal
problem. Depending on the age of the birds the size of the disposal
problem can vary. The number of birds entered here will be used to
determine the weight of carcasses to be disposed of in the event of a
catastrophic event.
Populated Days Per Year
This number will vary depending
on cycle length and the type of poultry being produced. This number is
assumed to be approximately 275 for an average broiler operation.
This is all of the information that is required on the benchmark data screen. Any of these entries can be changed at any time.
Moving Around the Program
It is possible to view more of the incineration screen by
changing the view. Move the mouse pointer over the area marked by the
box in the picture below. When the mouse pointer changes to two
arrows separated by two lines, hold down the left mouse button and drag
upwards.
The screen will now look like this:
Should you wish to view the table again, use the same procedure. You can view the mortality table from any of the screens in the program.
Incinerator Cost
Available from the distributor.
Base Slab Cost
It is recommended that incinerators be
installed on a concrete base. Depending on the size and weight of the
incinerator the size and cost of the slab will vary.
Gas Service Installation
Cost of supplying fuel to the
incinerator site.
Annual Fixed Costs
Calculated automatically by the MEAN
program based on the amortization period and interest rates provided in the
benchmark data screen.
Kg per year
Calculated in the mortality table based on
expected mortality rates
Kg burned/hour
The burn rate of the incinerator – this
value can be obtained from the distributor or manufacturer.
Hours burned per year
Calculated automatically using
expected mortality rates and the burn rate of the incinerator
Fuel Consumption
Amount of fuel used per hour by the
incinerator – this value is available from the manufacturer.
Electricity
Most modern incineration equipment is
operated using an electrical ignition switch. Electrical consumption can
be obtained from the manufacturer and should be entered in kilowatts per
hour.
Cost per kWh
Entered in the benchmark data screen.
Populated Days per year and Labour Cost per Hour
From
benchmark data screen.
Maintenance and Repair
Total yearly cost of maintaining
and repairing incineration equipment.
The economic analysis of rendering allows producers to compare the cost of purchasing one of two sizes of specially designed mortality freezers. While this purchase is not a requirement, freezers will maintain carcass quality indefinitely. Presently the rendering company increases the frequency of pick-ups during hot weather. In the event that a fee is charged for this service, freezing carcasses will reduce the number of pickups required, which will reduce the cost to the producer.
The analysis compares two different bin sizes. The bin size will be used to determine the number of pickups required per cycle and on a yearly basis. If a pick-up fee is charged by the rendering company the number of pickups required will be used to calculate the cost of this service.
Freight (Delivery)
Freezer units will be shipped from
the manufacturer in Eastern Canada. This figure can be obtained from
Northern Alberta Processors.
Winch System
The pick-up system used by Northern Alberta
Processors requires that minor modifications be made to the freezer system so
that the bin can be emptied easily by their equipment. The cost of these
modifications was estimated to be approximately $40.
Electrical Service Hookup
If the freezer is to be
installed some distance from farm buildings as part of a biosecurity plan
electrical service will need to be provided at that location.
Concrete Slab
It is recommended that the freezer be
placed on a concrete base to allow for easy access by farm workers and rendering
company equipment. The recommended size of the pad is 8’ x 8’ x 4”
Days per year
It has been assumed that the unit will run
only during warm weather months, from mid-May to September, on average 139 days
per year. The value is defaulted to 139, but it can be modified by the
user.
Total number of kWh
This calculation is made by the
program based on the number of days the unit will operate and the electrical
consumption of the unit.
Price per kWh
This information was entered in the
benchmark data screen.
Populated Days per year and Labour Cost per Hour
From
benchmark data screen.
Transportation/Pickup Fee
This value is entered on the
benchmark data screen.
Although composting is simple in both concept and design, careful attention to detail is required to successfully manage a dead poultry composting unit. This means that more time will be spent managing the disposal of mortalities. Large scale composting will also require the use of a front end loader to manage the compost piles. Hauling equipment will also be required if the compost is to be utilized on the farm where it is produced.
Construction of a composting facility represents a significant start-up cost. Depending on the size of the operation the size of the composting facility may vary. A 24’ x 30’ building with 5 primary composting bins has been used to successfully compost the mortalities from an operation with 130,000 birds. The cost of this size of facility was estimated to be approximately $8900 for the economic analysis in Poultry Mortality Disposal in Alberta.
Composting is a sustainable agricultural practice. As such it should be considered to be an excellent option for the disposal of mortalities.
Water Service
Successful composting will require the
addition of water to the compost mixture. It is practical to have water
available in the building where composting is to take place.
Amount Financed (%)
If money is borrowed to construct
the facility, this will allow producers to project the cost of borrowing.
Operation Time
This figure should be entered in hours
per year.
Cost of Operating
Cost of running equipment, on a
dollars per hour basis.
Maintenance and Repair
Cost to maintain the facility on
a yearly basis.
Compost Ingredients
The composting recipe requires the
addition of a carbon source to the compost mixture. Straw is relatively
cheap and widely available to Alberta producers. Other carbon sources have
been used to successfully compost mortalities, but straw has been shown to be a
superior composting material.
Straw
Enter the cost of straw in dollars per tonne.
If a different carbon source is to be used, the cost per tonne can be entered
here.
Kilograms straw per kg of mortality
This value is based
on the compost recipe which is available within the MEAN program.
According to that recipe for every part of mortality, 0.1 parts of straw will be
required to compost effectively.
Compost hauling
This is the cost of disposing of the
compost on crop land. It is based on the amount of compost produced per
year, which is automatically calculated based on the expected mortality rate and
the addition of other materials to the compost pile. It is expected that
compost volume and weight will be reduced by 25 to 30% during the compost
process. The calculation of total tones of compost produced per year is
based on that assumption.
Cost of compost hauling
On a dollar per tonne
basis.
Calculation of Required Capacity
This method
of estimating the required capacity for composting assumes a bin size of 1.5
metres deep, 1.8 metres wide and 1.5 metres long, for a total volume of 4.05m3
per bin.
Cycle Mortality
Automatically calculated based on
mortality rates entered in the benchmark data screen.
Cycle Length (days)
Enter the populated days per
cycle.
Average Daily Mortality
Calculated automatically, this
value is obtained by multiplying cycle mortality by the cycle length in
days.
Bird Weight (maximum)
This value will come from the
mortality table. Mortality table values can be modified in the benchmark
data screen.
Daily Mortality Weight
This value is calculated by
multiplying the maximum bird weight by the average daily mortality. The
maximum bird weight is used as a safety precaution to ensure that the composter
will be of an adequate size for the operation.
Safety Factor
To allow for unusually high losses, the
safety factor is used to double or triple anticipated daily mortality
rates. For example, if the expected normal rate of mortality is 1.5 kg per
day, a safety factor of 2.5 will build in extra capacity to the compost unit to
allow for losses as high as 3.75 kg per day.
Composter should be sized…
This is a given volume
required per kilogram of daily loss. It is estimated to be 0.062m3/kg
daily loss. The value can be changed by the user if desired.
Daily Mortality Weight
This value is calculated by
multiplying the maximum bird weight by the average daily mortality. The
maximum bird weight is used as a safety precaution to ensure that the composter
will be of an adequate size for the operation.
Composter Space Required per bird (m3)
The volume
required for the operation is calculated by multiplying the 0.062m3/kg daily
loss by the daily mortality weight.
Volume Required (bins)
This value is calculated by
multiplying the compost space required per bird value by the number of
birds. That value is then divided by the composter size. The final
result is the number of bins required.
Number of Birds in Flock
From the benchmark data
screen.
Composter Size
The volume (in m3) of each size.
Primary Bins Required and Secondary Bins Required
The
value from Volume Required is rounded up to the next whole number to determine
the number of primary bins required for the operation. Composting is a
multi-stage process that requires the same number of secondary composting bins
as there are primary compost bins.
Entering the Data
Burial is a simple and inexpensive means of disposal. Costs are limited to excavation costs and lime. If the carcasses are covered with a minimum requirement of soil no lime will be required. If the pit is not going to be immediately covered, disposal regulations require that lime be spread on the carcasses to control flies and odor, be covered with a wooden or metal lid that will exclude scavengers.
Cost to Excavate Pit
It is assumed that most producers
will not have access to excavation equipment, and will need to hire a
professional to prepare the burial sites.
Populated days per year and labour cost per hour
These
figures were entered in the benchmark data screen, and will be used to calculate
the labour cost associated with burial.
Kilograms required per kilogram mortality
The
recommended amount is 0.05 kg
Soil Group
Select your soil type
Depth of Aquifer
Select your aquifer depth
Surface Soil Texture
Select your surface soil
texture
Sub-surface Soil Texture
Select your sub-surface soil
texture
Contamination Potential
This value is calculated based
on the formula described in Poultry Mortality Disposal in Alberta. For
more information on the calculations, refer to the burial portion of that
document. There are three possible contamination values, 1 being the
highest potential for contamination, 3 being the lowest.
If contamination potential is HIGH, the Maximum Weight per pit will change to 0, as burial is not legal under those conditions.
If contamination potential is 2, the risk is considered moderate. The value in the maximum weight per pit will change to 2500 kg. The maximum kg per hectare you can bury will change. The distance required between burial pits will also change.
If contamination potential is 1, the risk is considered low. The value in the maximum weight per pit will be 2500. The maximum kg per hectare you can bury will increase. The distance required between burial pits will decrease.
Catastrophic mortality represents a significant disposal problem for producers. MEAN will allow producers to project the expected disposal problem if they were to lose an entire flock or barn of birds at one time.
The summary of costs compares the costs of all methods of disposal. The summary breakdown includes a total yearly cost of disposal, costs of disposal on the basis of kilograms produced per year, and kilograms of mortality disposed per year.
To view a printer friendly analysis of each method, simply select the method you are interested in viewing from the Report menu at the top of the screen. While the report is being generated a chicken will appear on the screen. It may take a few moments to see the report on your computer screen.
Reports can be printed or saved on your computer. To save a report, click on the disk icon at the top of the screen. You will be prompted to provide a file name for the report. To view a report at a later date, you will need to enter the report screen. From that screen select the file folder icon at the top of the screen, and you will be prompted to select the report file you wish to view.
1. Abbotsford BC, United Agri. Systems, hone 604-859-4240
2. Lethbridge AB, South County Livestock, phone 403-329-0155
3. Meeting Creek AB, Palliser Equipment LTD, phone 780-877-2660
4. Saskatoon SK, Welbern Agri. Systems, phone 306-244-3838
5. Calgary, AB, Plains Industries phone 403-934-2535
Rendering Resources
Northern Alberta Processors, 1930 – 121 Ave NE, Edmonton, AB.
Phone 780-472-6750
Mailing Address: Box 3254, Sherwood Park, AB T8A 2A6
Sae-Plast Canada, Protein Recovery Container Manufacturer (Freezers)
http://www.saeplastcanada.com/PRC.htm
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[1] http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/442-037/table2.html
[2] http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/Aub+244.html
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