Effects of an Aluminum Sulfate and Ferric Chloride Blend on Poultry Litter Characteristics in Vitro

Abstract

Previous studies have applied various concentrations of aluminum sulfate and ferric chloride separately to poultry litter to reduce environmental pollution and increase chicken productivity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of using a blend of these 2 chemicals under 5 different treatments: control (no addition), 50 + 50, 25 + 50, 50 + 25, and 25 + 25 g/kg of litter, which consisted of fresh chicken manure (1 kg) and sawdust (4 kg) thoroughly mixed in a 70 x 47 x 43 cm box. NH3 and CO2 volatilizations, pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and moisture content of the poultry litter were assessed weekly up to 6 wk and in the case of total and water-soluble nutrients they were assessed after 1 and 42 d. The control treatment had higher NH3 and CO2 volatilizations than the treated litter throughout the experiment. EC and pH showed an inverse relationship, whereby the control treatment had high pH and low EC values and the treated litter had low pH and high EC values. After 42 d, nitrogen levels were significantly reduced in the control treatment, whereas the 50 + 50 g/kg treatment had the highest content. Conversely, water-soluble phosphorus levels were much lower in the treated poultry litter after 1 and 42 d. A higher ferric chloride concentration (25 + 50 g/kg) in the blend was more effective than a higher aluminum sulfate concentration (50 + 25 g/kg). These findings demonstrate that a combination of aluminum sulfate and ferric chloride may be a useful amendment for reducing NH3 and CO2 volatilizations, pH, and moisture content of poultry litter, which will help in improving poultry productivity, pollution control, and poultry litter fertilizer usage.