Treating Poultry Litter with

Aluminum Sulfate (Alum)

Definition: This practice applies to all poultry
Aluminum sulfate (alum) is added to operations that have dry litter (broiler,
poultry litter in the poultry house to reduce breeder and turkey houses). There are no
ammonia volatilization. known limitations of this practice.
Purpose: Effectiveness:
Authors e-mail: Over half of the nitrogen excreted by Alum additions result in less nitrogen
chickens is lost to the atmosphere as being lost due to ammonia volatilization.
Philip. Moore@ars. usda. gov ammonia before the litter is removed from Ammonia fluxes from alum-treated litter
poultry houses. Research has shown that have been shown to be 70% lower than
alum additions to poultry litter greatly normal litter (Moore et al., 2000). This
reduces ammonia emissions. Lower results in a higher nitrogen content of the
ammonia levels in poultry houses due to litter, which boosts crop yields. Lower
alum additions result in heavier birds, better ammonia levels in the rearing facilities also
Developed by: feed conversion and lower mortality. Alum improve poultry production and make the
additions to poultry litter also precipitates environment safer for agricultural workers.
Livestock GRACEnet phosphorus into a form which is not water Reducing atmospheric ammonia
leading the development soluble. This greatly reduces phosphorus emissions will also result in less air
of mitigation practices to runoff from fields fertilized with poultry pollution, such as fine particulate matter
reduce emissions from litter, as well as phosphorus leaching. Alum (ammonia is a precursor to fine particulate
livestock production additions also reduce the number of matter), acid precipitation, and atmospheric
pathogens in litter nitrogen deposition. Treating poultry litter
with alum is also one of the most effective
How Does This Practice Work:
For more information
visit us at: methods of reducing phosphorus runoff from
http://www.ars.usda.gov/ Alum should be applied to poultry litter fields fertilized with litter. Alum
livestockGRACEnet at a rate equivalent to 5-10% by weight applications to poultry litter have been
(alum/manure). For typical broiler shown to reduce phosphorus runoff by 87%
operations growing six week old birds, this from small plots (Shreve et al., 1995) and by
is equivalent to adding 0.1 to 0.2 lbs alum 75% from small watersheds (Moore and
per bird or 1-2 tons of alum per house per Edwards, 2007).
flock if 20,000 birds are in each house. The The long-term effects of applying alum-
reduction in ammonia emissions is due to treated litter to land have indicated that this
the acid produced when alum is added to the practice is sustainable (Moore and Edwards,
litter. This acid converts ammonia to 2005; 2007). Soluble phosphorus levels in
ammonium; which is not subject to soils fertilized with alum-treated litter are
volatilization. The reduction in litter pH also significantly lower than that in soils
causes pathogen numbers to decrease. fertilized with normal litter. Hence, there is
Aluminum from alum reacts with less phosphorus leaching with alum-treated
USDA is an equal
phosphorus to form an insoluble aluminum litter (Moore and Edwards, 2007). Long-
opportunity provider and
phosphate compound that is far less term studies conducted by Moore and
employer
susceptible to runoff or leaching. Edwards (2005) showed that exchangeable
aluminum levels in soils fertilized with
Where This Practice Applies and normal and alum-treated litter are low (less
Its Limitations: than 1 mg Al/kg soil) and are not
significantly different, whereas plots fertilized with the
same amount of nitrogen from ammonium nitrate have
very high exchangeable aluminum (up to 100 mg Al/kg
soil). Moore and Edwards (2005) also showed that
tall fescue yields from long-term studies were highest
with alum-treated litter, followed by normal litter and
lowest with ammonium nitrate.

References:
Moore, P.A., Jr., S. Watkins, D.C. Carmen, and P.B.
DeLaune. 2004 Treating poultry litter with alum.
University ofArkansas Cooperative Extension Fact
Sheet (FSA8003-PD-1-04N).

Cost of Establishing and Putting Practice

Moore, P.A., Jr, T.C. Daniel and D.R. Edwards. 2000.
in Place:
Reducing phosphorus runoff and inhibiting ammonia
Treating poultry litter with alum is a cost effective loss from poultry manure with aluminum sulfate. J.
best management practice, due to the economic returns Environ. Qual. 29:37-49.
from improved poultry production and reduced energy Moore, P.A, Jr., and D.R. Edwards. 2005. Long-term
costs. Alum costs about $250/ton. As mentioned
earlier two tons of alum should be applied to a typical effects of poultry litter, alum-treated litter, and
ammonium nitrate on aluminum availability in soils.
broiler house after each flock. Moore et al. (2000) J. Environ. Qual. 34:2104-2111.
showed that the economic returns from this practice
were $308 for the grower and $632 for the integrator Moore, P.A, Jr., and D.R. Edwards. 2007. Long-term
(company), for a combined return of $940. This is effects of poultry litter, alum-treated litter, and
almost twice the cost ($500) to treat the house, ammonium nitrate on phosphorus availability in soils.
resulting in a benefit/cost ratio approaching 2. J. Environ. Qual. 36:163-174.
Operation and Maintenance: Shreve, B.R., P.A. Moore, T.C. Daniel, D.R. Edwards
Alum is normally applied between each flock of and D.M. Miller. 1995. Reduction of phosphorus
birds. Dry alum can be applied with a number of runoff from field-applied poultry litter using chemical
different spreaders, such as de-caking machines, amendments. J. Environ. Qual. 24:106-111.
fertilizer spreaders, manure spreaders or drop
spreaders. Applicators should always wear goggles for For Further Information:
eye protection and a dust mask to avoid breathing alum Contact Philip Moore at 479-575-5724 or
dust. Gloves should also be worn to prevent skin philip.moore@ars.usda.gov.
irritation. To insure the chickens do not consume the
granules of alum, it is best to till the product into the Or you can contact your local conservation district,
litter. This can be done with a litter de-caker or with USDA-NRCS or Cooperative Extension Service
any other device that physically mixes the alum into office.
the litter. Liquid alum is normally only applied by a
certified professional applicator. There are two types
of liquid alum - normal liquid alum (48.5% alum) and
acid alum (36.5% alum). Acid alum is preferred in This practice falls under the NRCS
situations where the litter is very dry, since it activates Conservation Practice Standard 591
quickly. To add the equivalent of one ton of dry alum, (Amendments for Treatment of
370 gallons of liquid alum or 512 gallons of acid alum Agricultural Waste)
is needed.