Disposing of poultry that die during grow out is a serious management problem for poultry producers in Northwest Arkansas and across the country. Poultry disposal can affect water quality and the health of wildlife, livestock and people

Daniel, T. C.

Edwards, D. R.

Nichols, D. J.

Steele, K. F.

Wilkes, Steve

English

ScholarWorks@UARK

University of Arkansas, FayettevilleScholarWorks@UARKTechnical Reports Arkansas Water Resources Center7-1-1992Fact Sheet no.2: Water Quality and PoultryDisposal PitsT. C. DanielUniversity of Arkansas, FayettevilleD. R. EdwardsUnversity of Arkansas, FayettevilleD. J. NicholsUniversity of Arkansas, FayettevilleK. F. SteeleUniversity of Arkansas, FayettevilleSteve WilkesUniversity of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/awrctrPart of the Fresh Water Studies Commons, and the Water Resource Management CommonsThis Technical Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Arkansas Water Resources Center at ScholarWorks@UARK. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Technical Reports by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contactscholar@uark.edu, ccmiddle@uark.edu.Recommended CitationDaniel, T. C.; Edwards, D. R.; Nichols, D. J.; Steele, K. F.; and Wilkes, Steve. 1992. Fact Sheet no.2: Water Quality and Poultry DisposalPits. Arkansas Water Resources Center, Fayetteville, AR. MSC183b. 6Fact Sheet no. 2 Water Quality \ \ and Poultry Disposal Pits J Randy vouro. P.e. ExiiC1Jtlve Director A joint publication ol the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the Arkansas Water Resouroos Center D isposingof poultry that die during grow out is a seri-ous management problem for poultry producers in North-west Arkansas and across the country. Poultry disposal can af-fect water quality and the health of wildlife, livestock and people. been made. Now, disposal pits are strongly discouraged, and it is likely that constructing new pits will soon be outlawed in Arkansas. The numbers show why. A typical two-house broiler opera-tion will, on average, produce about 80 pounds of dead birds a day or nearly 600 pounds a week. Arkan-sas producers grow approximately I billion broiler chickens a year of which about 200 million are grown in Benton and Washington coun-ties. A conservative mortality rate of 3 percent for the production cycle translates into about 27 mil-lion carcasses statewidc-6 million in the two-county area- that must be disposed of each year. That's just broilers. Arkansas fanners grow ''we have determined that this pit is putting a lot of ammonium in the nearby subsurface water." It was thought that a properly constructed pit in the right soil could safely dispose of dead poul-try much the same as a household septic tank disposes of domestic sewage. Instead, many pits fail to work because the bacteria that decompose the birds lack oxygen. Rather than being eaten by bacte-ria, the birds may become pickled or mummified. Because ground water can move through the pits, pollutants associated with dead poultry, including nitrate, ammo-nium, phosphate, organic carbon, and bacteria-some possibly dan-gerous-may move to an aquifer. - -]!If .Nichols, UA Restarclz Specialist A typical two-house broiler operation will produce about 13 tons of dead chickens a year and 150 tons to 200 tons of chicken litter, which is a dry mixture of manure and sawdust or some other bed-ding material. millions of turkeys and laying hens each year, too. Most poultry carcasses arc thrown into pits that dot the landscape throughout Northwest Arkansas and the nation where poultry is raised. Disposal pits remain long after poultry houses have disappeared. A5 pits fill, new ones are installed to take their place, making it difficult to know how many pits exist. Pit disposal, though an undesirable practice, is better than dumping birds in an out-of-the-way cor-ncr of a farm. Rotting carcasses can spread disease quickly through scavengers, and the likelihood that surface water may be harmed through storm runoff greatly increases when dead animals arc left to de-compose in the open. Pit disposal has been an accepted, even encour-aged practice since the 1950s. A 1985 state law made incineration or pit disposal mandatory within 24 hours of death. Only recently has a connection be-tween ground-water pollution and dead-bird pits Early results from a study being conducted by University of Arkansas scientists show that disposal pits can pollute nearby ground water. "We have determined that this pit is putting a lot of ammonium in the nearby subsurface water," Jeff Nichols, a UA research specialist, said. Nichols is part of a team ofUA researchers that has been monitoring shallow ground-water quality near a dead-bird disposal pit in Washington County, Ark., since May 1992. Samples taken three feet from the pit have shown concentrations as high as 560 milligrams per liter (ppm) of ammonium. At 15 feet down slope, the ammonium concentration has regis-tered 200 milligrams per liter (ppm). "You can smell the ammonia in the water," Nichols said, "and a lot of it can become nitrate." Continued on page 3 - - - -Shutting Down a Disposal Pit Wh~·n it ll!'!'nnw ~ m·n·ssar~ tcl';hut elm, n a dhpo,<tl pit. remmT till' < hutt· 111 chutn and thl' <'OIHTl' lt' ~l<th. ConT tiH' ('fllltt'llh or th<' pit \\·idtliml' .. \bout .)0 pounds should do it. Col-lap~l' the pit and b.u klill it \\'ith soil. Sod or ~lTd tlw ar<'a. You may \\'ish to t<'-mon: rather than merch close a disposal pit. J>nhal>--an old pit lies in an arr.t th.tt \'Oll \\'Hill Ill build Oil, 01' A poultry disposal pit near Lincoln, Ark .. served as the test site for water quality research by University of Arkansas scientists. Shutting down the pit was the final stage in the field work portion of the study. wnr discun-r that a pu i-, contammating a ncarh~ \\ell. If you decide to n:mon· a pit .md it'i con-tents. here are some gtudl'lines. Don't toss the corHenh :l\\:1\' ca-sually. You'll only mm c the problem from one plac1· to another. Compost in~ or appron·d burning arc t\\'o acccptahk· way' trl .get rid of any remaining birds. Di~po~m.~ of the comt•nts in a landfill th.n has bt·en appro,·cd for hazardou'i \\ asu: ic; an-other. After the contelll'i h;l\ t' been rcmon:d. collapse the pit. cm·l·r it Lon~llutl>nal S1ccl ,....._ No 3 bar.; sp.~ecd I~ mchcs ap.m \\'ith lime and backfill'' ith <,mL ~~ 1d c 11 seed the area. :\ \\'ord of caution: If the pit i-n·t doing any harm, collap'>c it or c.tp 11 and lea\·c it alone. Rcmembet. the idea is to remove an old problem. not create a new one. In any t'\ 'l'lll. he sure to cont<l<'t your. \rk.llh.t' Cc "•p-eratin: E:-.tension agent or~ ow l1 >l.d Soil Conser\'ation Sci'\ ice< 11lit t'. · rlwrt guidance can help you sa\T time .tnd mont·y and impro\'l' ''.ttl' I' qua lit~ 1 11l your f;trm. Figure 1. Typrcal poultry disposal p1t using 8-mch by 16·inch concrete b locks 2 Ground water may move through a disposal pit accumulating con· tammants as it does. A d1sposal pit may rest on bed rock. which in Northwest Arkansas 1s likely to be made of limestone. This rock 1s brittle and cracks eas1ly. It dissolves fatrly eas1ly. and once a crack opens it tends to Widen as water and substances rn the water act on rt. While bedrock may not be cracked directly under or even near a d•s· posal prt, water WI I percolate through the soil until it IS blocked by rock or clay, creat1ng a perched water table. or the polluted water may find 1ts way 1nto a shallow aqu1fer. domestiC well or spnng. From page 1 Nitrogen, one of the elements that forms nitrate and nitrite, is essen-tial to life, but too much nitrogen as nitrate can be toxic to livestock and infants. Blue-baby syndrome, or methe-moglobinemia, can rob a 3-to-4· month-old infant's blood of oxygen. Nitrate is converted in the infant's stomach into the more toxic nitrite, which when it reaches the infant's blood, oxidizes the iron in the hemo· globin to form methemoglobin. This substance, unlike hemoglobin, can· not carry oxygen. If more than half of the hemoglobin is converted, death is likely. While the potential for this health risk exists, Arkansas has never had a documented case ofinfantdeath attributed to nitrogen-contaminated drinking water. Nevertheless, wells should be tested before being used as a drinking water source. Considered individually, disposal pits can be considered a point-source of pollution, but because many pits are scattered across the region, they can collectively be considered a non-point source of pollution, as well. Nitrogen, an excellent fertilizer, has helped turn Northwest Arkansas's pastures into lush hay fields that sup· port one of the most productive cattle industries in the nation. But in addi-tion to turning hay fields green, too much nitrogen can stimulate noxious algae and aquatic weed growth, tum· ing ponds, lakes and rivers green too. These algal blooms can choke a pond or stream by cutting off sunlight, rob-bing the water of oxygen necessary for fish and other aquatic life. Also, water degraded by algae tends to be difficult and expensive to purify for drinking. Even after treatment, water degraded by algae may have an un-pleasant taste. Nitrogen isn't the only pollutant that has the potential to seep into ground water from disposal pits. There also exists the possibility of dangerous bacteria and pathogens, such as Salmonella, being introduced into ground water through these pits. It is also possible that ammoni urn not bound in the soil or converted to nitrate may reach a stream or pond through ground water. Ammonia is highly poisonous to fish. While many factors must be considered, including ALGAL BLOOMS can choke a pond or stream by cutting off sunlight, rob-bing the water of oxygen necessary for fish and other aquatic life. water temperature, the acid content of the water and length of exposure, concentrations as low as 3 milligrams per liter can kill trout. Other species arc more resilient, but ammonia is toxic to fish nonetheless. Unfortunately, there is no reli-able or practical way to determine where ground water goes once it has percolated through a particular pit. Besides, there arc so many pits throughout the state that any kind of meaningful testing would be impossi-bly expensive. Ground-water levels may fluctuate throughout the year, and a pit may be constructed over fractured bedrock, allowing contami-nated water to move quickly to a nearby domestic well or spring. 3 Research can show what con-taminants arc produced, and it can describe the possibl~ fate of those con-taminants. However, because so many factors influence each pit, including geology, soil characteristics, fluctuat-ing ground-water levels, and the vol-ume of birds being disposed, it is im-possible to accurately predict the fate or the intensity of the pollutants that may eventually find their way to ground water. If pollution from these pits can-not be accurately predicted, at least with the current data base, what can be done to prevent future problems? Two management practices, composting and freezing, show great promise. These practices are essen-tially recycling techniques that tum a waste by-product- the dead birds-into a valuable commodity. Composting provides a way for the fanner to safely dispose of dead birds. The composting process de-stroys harmful bacteria and produces a rich organic fertilizer for usc on fields and pastures. The compost consists of a mixture of straw, chicken litter, water and dead birds. These ingredients arc layered one on top of another and the compost is allowed to work for several weeks. Freezing for later processing into protein for animal feed is another management practice under devel-opment by Tyson Foods Inc., the nation's largest poultry producer. The company is developing and demon-strating techniques for freezing, stor-ing and transporting the dead birds. University researchers continue to study water-quality problems con-nected with poultry production, and growers concerned about water qual-ity arc embracing new ways of deal-ing with poultry carcasses. Continued cooperation between government, industry, farmers and researchers is the key to understanding and control-ling water-quality problems associ~ ated with poultry carcass disposal. Figure2. ~·-~--------------------------------~ Nitrate (N03·N) and ammonium (NH4-N} 2pP concentrations 15 ft. up slope from the test pit fllS:!IL and 15 ft. down slope from the test pit. Up Slope, 15 ft. from test pit o~------o NH4-N, Ammonra 0>-------o N03-N, Nitrate Down Slope, 15 ft. from test pit 01---------o NH4-N , Ammonia 0)--------o N03-N, Nitrate o)loo----o>---~•o- -o-•--- >-~-o 0 0 Q)o--•0 0 UpSlope Depth Distance 1) 66 inphes 1) 3 feet 2) 53 inches 2) 16 feet 3) 55 inches 3) 33 feet Down Slope Depth Distance 1) 89 inches 1) 3 feet 2) 78 inches 2) 16 feet 3)73inches 3) 72 feet 4)36inches 4) 16 feet Moores Creek Water Quality Study As part of the Moores Creek water quality study. a typical dead-bird dis-posal pit is being evaluated for its pos-sible affect on ground water. Test results suggest that ground-water quality is sig-nificantly altered. In addition to samples being taken at fifteen feet 1 Figure 2), lysimctcrs, which arc porous steel tubes used to collect ground-water samples, ,,·ere placed at va11·ing depths and distances from the test pit (Figure 3). For instance, 3 feet do" n slope from the test pit a nd 89 inches deep, ammonium tested as high as 560 milligrams per liter: however, 72 feet dm, n slope and 73 inches deep the conccmration of ammonium was nil. Because each pit is unique, it \\'ould not be corn:cl to <lpply these d,ua to other pits except in a general way. Pit construction - some arc mere holes while crete or treated wood- rock and soil characteristics, water levels and the vol-ume ofbirds intera([ to influence ground-water quality ncar a pit. .:\c,·enhcless, even though informa-tion gathered through studying a typical disposal pit can only be applied in a general way to other pits, it is reasonable to assume that many, if not most, dis· posal pits are a source onocalizcd ground-water pollution. T he dista nce from a disposal pit at which gro und water is evaluated is im-portant. The further a'' ay fro m a pit that water is drawn, the Jess likely it is to be contaminated, but with the possibil-ity of a pit sitting on fractured bedrock, which is common in Northwest Arkan-sas, it is possible that contaminated wa-ter may find a direct line to a drinking water'' ell or that the contaminated water others arc substantial structures of con~ rna~ emerge from a spring. 4 Com posting A Safe and Sensible Alternative I mt<"ad nf tn~.;;ing chid\'n~ or wrkt·,-~ into a pn. many area g• 0\\ ('1":-. .m· tumin.~ to ( ornpmtinll" ·" .1 safe and semiblc ahL-rllati\(· fin dead-bird di-;pmal. "The pitc;, .:l iT ''onhk~<· Hcnr~ Hufl:~erc, a pouhn grower from Lincoln .. \rk .. ~aid . ''They're nothing but ;1 way to get the bird~ out of ~ iglu . The~ ''ill lTll~t m·c1 ,(j hard that you can't stick .1 pmt down in it. It takes o xygen. Without it, the chickens just lie there."' Huff acre has been com posting poultry for about~ ('ar. and he likes it. "You ha\(: to p:l\ .l!!!'lllion to your mixtu1 (',''he s,1icl . "The secret i!i not lO usc too rnueh \\'atcr ... He said that he ~pends about 20 minute!-> a d;n working the compmt. Huff acre said that freet.ing the birds for rendering imo protein for animal feed, a new management practice under development. \\'ill be the best way to deal '' ith the birds, but in times of high stress, when mortality rates ri .;;c dramatically, freezer capacity probably "on 't be able to keep pace. Except ,,·[H:n losses run to cata-;t rophic lnek hm,cvcr, com poster!> should be able to handle the load. he said. A com poster can be designed to fit any \ize operation. and they arc appro\'Cd for cost sharing through the L'SD. \ Agticulture Stabilit:ation and Cm1seiY<llion Sen icc . \SC:S . Composter!\ can be constructed on the fcum . or thctT al t' companies that can supply them read~·-made. Composting i5 simple. The 'recipe' eaJi o; fo r \dll'.H straw or some other carbon <>ounT su('h as '\01\\ du >l. manure and birds to be disposed or. The '>in• compo'-tt'l' needed depends on the size of the opn.nion . \\'!tile composting is strongly enn,uragwl . it o;Jwuld he 1-,>iven a good de:~! of thought bd<m· hl'ing .1dopted on .1 1;11'111. It docs require 20 to :m minutt·~ ol' nl.lill!cn.tncr· c.1ch d.1y. Le tting things go ranlt·.1d to .ttl odor prohkm. flit's and othl' r \'l'l"ll1in. By building or purcha~in~ .1 compo-.tt·r that fit s the opn.llion and In li >llcm in~ t he rccipt· , howt'\'t'l". 1\0IH' oftlwst· prohlt·nh ,Jtould otT tll . • \11 !'X('Cl!t· rH booklet pmdun·d !J, ti ll' L'ni\er.;i t\ nt-Arbn"a.~ CoopnatiH· Exh·nsion S !'l\ Ht ' tidt ·d Comfllll///1~ Hm/1!1 ( :.tu o U II',, <·xp lains hm' to <'urhtllll"t . 1 < umpo't lll\! S) Sl('lll . It disc u ,;scs t'nmposl man.tg<'lll<'IIL h,1, l'Oillpn~tt'l ('(Hl'itr'IU'tion p[;IIIS i l lld ,\IIS\\('J"'i 111.111\ fr l"'[ll!'ll lh .t~kl'd question~ t '<HH't'l'lli n l! compmting_ .:. HenrY Huffacrc Compostmg is rela tively easy. It turns waste into valuable fertilizer. protects the ground water. and unlike disposal pits. composters have very little odor and few flies . For more Information about composting. contact your Coop-erative Extension agent or a representative of the USDA Soli Conservation Serv1ce . Authors: T.C. Damtl, proflssor; D.R. Edu:nrds. assistaniJm!ftssor; DJ..A'ichofs, mrarrll assistant K.F. Stttlr, d~rtclor and proflssor: Strvr I Vi/krs, i1!{ommtion sprcinfist. - • • '<~t 77zis fact shut is a cooprrntit·r tjfort of tilt Arkansas Soil and ll'attr Conmvation Commission and tllr :1 rknsnn ,. f I ntrr Rtsourcrs Cmttr. A IVRC Fact ShrriJ art publisllrd Jlmudrcallj• I!)• tllr Arknnsns ll'attr Resourm Cmtrr. L ·niursi!l' 1!{ Arkllllsas, Fa;•t/Uvillt, Ark. i2 iO I. Dr. lltmtrtlt F. Strrlt. Direr/or. Stez.•t ll'ilku, Editor. A WRRC publications arrfru ufJo/1 request. A nomir~nf coJ!l'illg drnrgr is applied for oul-oj-Jirilll tit/6. Address correction requested Printed on recycled paper (~J ~--------------------------------- ::JJ----------------------------------~ AWRC Mansas Water Resources Center 113 Ozark HaU, University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 72701 (501) 575-4403 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 278 Faycttc\illc, Arkansas 

Fact Sheet no.2: Water Quality and Poultry Disposal Pits

UARK (University of Arkansas )

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Technical Reports Arkansas Water Resources Center 7-1-1992 Fact Sheet no.2: Water Quality and Poultry Disposal Pits T. C. Daniel University of Arkansas, Fayetteville D. R. Edwards Unversity of Arkansas, Fayetteville D. J. Nichols University of Arkansas, Fayetteville K. F. Steele University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Steve Wilkes University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/awrctr  Part of the Fresh Water Studies Commons, and the Water Resource Management Commons Citation Daniel, T. C.; Edwards, D. R.; Nichols, D. J.; Steele, K. F.; and Wilkes, Steve. 1992. Fact Sheet no.2: Water Quality and Poultry Disposal Pits. Arkansas Water Resources Center, Fayetteville, AR. MSC183b. 6 https://scholarworks.uark.edu/awrctr/186 This Technical Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Arkansas Water Resources Center at ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Technical Reports by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact scholar@uark.edu. Fact Sheet no. 2 Water Quality \ \ and Poultry Disposal Pits J Randy vouro. P.e. ExiiC1Jtlve Director A joint publication ol the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the Arkansas Water Resouroos Center D isposingof poultry that die during grow out is a seri-ous management problem for poultry producers in North-west Arkansas and across the country. Poultry disposal can af-fect water quality and the health of wildlife, livestock and people. been made. Now, disposal pits are strongly discouraged, and it is likely that constructing new pits will soon be outlawed in Arkansas. The numbers show why. A typical two-house broiler opera-tion will, on average, produce about 80 pounds of dead birds a day or nearly 600 pounds a week. Arkan-sas producers grow approximately I billion broiler chickens a year of which about 200 million are grown in Benton and Washington coun-ties. A conservative mortality rate of 3 percent for the production cycle translates into about 27 mil-lion carcasses statewidc-6 million in the two-county area- that must be disposed of each year. That's just broilers. Arkansas fanners grow ''we have determined that this pit is putting a lot of ammonium in the nearby subsurface water." It was thought that a properly constructed pit in the right soil could safely dispose of dead poul-try much the same as a household septic tank disposes of domestic sewage. Instead, many pits fail to work because the bacteria that decompose the birds lack oxygen. Rather than being eaten by bacte-ria, the birds may become pickled or mummified. Because ground water can move through the pits, pollutants associated with dead poultry, including nitrate, ammo-nium, phosphate, organic carbon, and bacteria-some possibly dan-gerous-may move to an aquifer. - -]!If .Nichols, UA Restarclz Specialist A typical two-house broiler operation will produce about 13 tons of dead chickens a year and 150 tons to 200 tons of chicken litter, which is a dry mixture of manure and sawdust or some other bed-ding material. millions of turkeys and laying hens each year, too. Most poultry carcasses arc thrown into pits that dot the landscape throughout Northwest Arkansas and the nation where poultry is raised. Disposal pits remain long after poultry houses have disappeared. A5 pits fill, new ones are installed to take their place, making it difficult to know how many pits exist. Pit disposal, though an undesirable practice, is better than dumping birds in an out-of-the-way cor-ncr of a farm. Rotting carcasses can spread disease quickly through scavengers, and the likelihood that surface water may be harmed through storm runoff greatly increases when dead animals arc left to de-compose in the open. Pit disposal has been an accepted, even encour-aged practice since the 1950s. A 1985 state law made incineration or pit disposal mandatory within 24 hours of death. Only recently has a connection be-tween ground-water pollution and dead-bird pits Early results from a study being conducted by University of Arkansas scientists show that disposal pits can pollute nearby ground water. "We have determined that this pit is putting a lot of ammonium in the nearby subsurface water," Jeff Nichols, a UA research specialist, said. Nichols is part of a team ofUA researchers that has been monitoring shallow ground-water quality near a dead-bird disposal pit in Washington County, Ark., since May 1992. Samples taken three feet from the pit have shown concentrations as high as 560 milligrams per liter (ppm) of ammonium. At 15 feet down slope, the ammonium concentration has regis-tered 200 milligrams per liter (ppm). "You can smell the ammonia in the water," Nichols said, "and a lot of it can become nitrate." Continued on page 3 - - - -Shutting Down a Disposal Pit Wh~·n it ll!'!'nnw ~ m·n·ssar~ tcl';hut elm, n a dhpo,<tl pit. remmT till' < hutt· 111 chutn and thl' <'OIHTl' lt' ~l<th. ConT tiH' ('fllltt'llh or th<' pit \\·idtliml' .. \bout .)0 pounds should do it. Col-lap~l' the pit and b.u klill it \\'ith soil. Sod or ~lTd tlw ar<'a. You may \\'ish to t<'-mon: rather than merch close a disposal pit. J>nhal>--an old pit lies in an arr.t th.tt \'Oll \\'Hill Ill build Oil, 01' A poultry disposal pit near Lincoln, Ark .. served as the test site for water quality research by University of Arkansas scientists. Shutting down the pit was the final stage in the field work portion of the study. wnr discun-r that a pu i-, contammating a ncarh~ \\ell. If you decide to n:mon· a pit .md it'i con-tents. here are some gtudl'lines. Don't toss the corHenh :l\\:1\' ca-sually. You'll only mm c the problem from one plac1· to another. Compost in~ or appron·d burning arc t\\'o acccptahk· way' trl .get rid of any remaining birds. Di~po~m.~ of the comt•nts in a landfill th.n has bt·en appro,·cd for hazardou'i \\ asu: ic; an-other. After the contelll'i h;l\ t' been rcmon:d. collapse the pit. cm·l·r it Lon~llutl>nal S1ccl ,....._ No 3 bar.; sp.~ecd I~ mchcs ap.m \\'ith lime and backfill'' ith <,mL ~~ 1d c 11 seed the area. :\ \\'ord of caution: If the pit i-n·t doing any harm, collap'>c it or c.tp 11 and lea\·c it alone. Rcmembet. the idea is to remove an old problem. not create a new one. In any t'\ 'l'lll. he sure to cont<l<'t your. \rk.llh.t' Cc "•p-eratin: E:-.tension agent or~ ow l1 >l.d Soil Conser\'ation Sci'\ ice< 11lit t'. · rlwrt guidance can help you sa\T time .tnd mont·y and impro\'l' ''.ttl' I' qua lit~ 1 11l your f;trm. Figure 1. Typrcal poultry disposal p1t using 8-mch by 16·inch concrete b locks 2 Ground water may move through a disposal pit accumulating con· tammants as it does. A d1sposal pit may rest on bed rock. which in Northwest Arkansas 1s likely to be made of limestone. This rock 1s brittle and cracks eas1ly. It dissolves fatrly eas1ly. and once a crack opens it tends to Widen as water and substances rn the water act on rt. While bedrock may not be cracked directly under or even near a d•s· posal prt, water WI I percolate through the soil until it IS blocked by rock or clay, creat1ng a perched water table. or the polluted water may find 1ts way 1nto a shallow aqu1fer. domestiC well or spnng. From page 1 Nitrogen, one of the elements that forms nitrate and nitrite, is essen-tial to life, but too much nitrogen as nitrate can be toxic to livestock and infants. Blue-baby syndrome, or methe-moglobinemia, can rob a 3-to-4· month-old infant's blood of oxygen. Nitrate is converted in the infant's stomach into the more toxic nitrite, which when it reaches the infant's blood, oxidizes the iron in the hemo· globin to form methemoglobin. This substance, unlike hemoglobin, can· not carry oxygen. If more than half of the hemoglobin is converted, death is likely. While the potential for this health risk exists, Arkansas has never had a documented case ofinfantdeath attributed to nitrogen-contaminated drinking water. Nevertheless, wells should be tested before being used as a drinking water source. Considered individually, disposal pits can be considered a point-source of pollution, but because many pits are scattered across the region, they can collectively be considered a non-point source of pollution, as well. Nitrogen, an excellent fertilizer, has helped turn Northwest Arkansas's pastures into lush hay fields that sup· port one of the most productive cattle industries in the nation. But in addi-tion to turning hay fields green, too much nitrogen can stimulate noxious algae and aquatic weed growth, tum· ing ponds, lakes and rivers green too. These algal blooms can choke a pond or stream by cutting off sunlight, rob-bing the water of oxygen necessary for fish and other aquatic life. Also, water degraded by algae tends to be difficult and expensive to purify for drinking. Even after treatment, water degraded by algae may have an un-pleasant taste. Nitrogen isn't the only pollutant that has the potential to seep into ground water from disposal pits. There also exists the possibility of dangerous bacteria and pathogens, such as Salmonella, being introduced into ground water through these pits. It is also possible that ammoni urn not bound in the soil or converted to nitrate may reach a stream or pond through ground water. Ammonia is highly poisonous to fish. While many factors must be considered, including ALGAL BLOOMS can choke a pond or stream by cutting off sunlight, rob-bing the water of oxygen necessary for fish and other aquatic life. water temperature, the acid content of the water and length of exposure, concentrations as low as 3 milligrams per liter can kill trout. Other species arc more resilient, but ammonia is toxic to fish nonetheless. Unfortunately, there is no reli-able or practical way to determine where ground water goes once it has percolated through a particular pit. Besides, there arc so many pits throughout the state that any kind of meaningful testing would be impossi-bly expensive. Ground-water levels may fluctuate throughout the year, and a pit may be constructed over fractured bedrock, allowing contami-nated water to move quickly to a nearby domestic well or spring. 3 Research can show what con-taminants arc produced, and it can describe the possibl~ fate of those con-taminants. However, because so many factors influence each pit, including geology, soil characteristics, fluctuat-ing ground-water levels, and the vol-ume of birds being disposed, it is im-possible to accurately predict the fate or the intensity of the pollutants that may eventually find their way to ground water. If pollution from these pits can-not be accurately predicted, at least with the current data base, what can be done to prevent future problems? Two management practices, composting and freezing, show great promise. These practices are essen-tially recycling techniques that tum a waste by-product- the dead birds-into a valuable commodity. Composting provides a way for the fanner to safely dispose of dead birds. The composting process de-stroys harmful bacteria and produces a rich organic fertilizer for usc on fields and pastures. The compost consists of a mixture of straw, chicken litter, water and dead birds. These ingredients arc layered one on top of another and the compost is allowed to work for several weeks. Freezing for later processing into protein for animal feed is another management practice under devel-opment by Tyson Foods Inc., the nation's largest poultry producer. The company is developing and demon-strating techniques for freezing, stor-ing and transporting the dead birds. University researchers continue to study water-quality problems con-nected with poultry production, and growers concerned about water qual-ity arc embracing new ways of deal-ing with poultry carcasses. Continued cooperation between government, industry, farmers and researchers is the key to understanding and control-ling water-quality problems associ~ ated with poultry carcass disposal. Figure2. ~·-~--------------------------------~ Nitrate (N03·N) and ammonium (NH4-N} 2pP concentrations 15 ft. up slope from the test pit fllS:!IL and 15 ft. down slope from the test pit. Up Slope, 15 ft. from test pit o~------o NH4-N, Ammonra 0>-------o N03-N, Nitrate Down Slope, 15 ft. from test pit 01---------o NH4-N , Ammonia 0)--------o N03-N, Nitrate o)loo----o>---~•o- -o-•--- >-~-o 0 0 Q)o--•0 0 UpSlope Depth Distance 1) 66 inphes 1) 3 feet 2) 53 inches 2) 16 feet 3) 55 inches 3) 33 feet Down Slope Depth Distance 1) 89 inches 1) 3 feet 2) 78 inches 2) 16 feet 3)73inches 3) 72 feet 4)36inches 4) 16 feet Moores Creek Water Quality Study As part of the Moores Creek water quality study. a typical dead-bird dis-posal pit is being evaluated for its pos-sible affect on ground water. Test results suggest that ground-water quality is sig-nificantly altered. In addition to samples being taken at fifteen feet 1 Figure 2), lysimctcrs, which arc porous steel tubes used to collect ground-water samples, ,,·ere placed at va11·ing depths and distances from the test pit (Figure 3). For instance, 3 feet do" n slope from the test pit a nd 89 inches deep, ammonium tested as high as 560 milligrams per liter: however, 72 feet dm, n slope and 73 inches deep the conccmration of ammonium was nil. Because each pit is unique, it \\'ould not be corn:cl to <lpply these d,ua to other pits except in a general way. Pit construction - some arc mere holes while crete or treated wood- rock and soil characteristics, water levels and the vol-ume ofbirds intera([ to influence ground-water quality ncar a pit. .:\c,·enhcless, even though informa-tion gathered through studying a typical disposal pit can only be applied in a general way to other pits, it is reasonable to assume that many, if not most, dis· posal pits are a source onocalizcd ground-water pollution. T he dista nce from a disposal pit at which gro und water is evaluated is im-portant. The further a'' ay fro m a pit that water is drawn, the Jess likely it is to be contaminated, but with the possibil-ity of a pit sitting on fractured bedrock, which is common in Northwest Arkan-sas, it is possible that contaminated wa-ter may find a direct line to a drinking water'' ell or that the contaminated water others arc substantial structures of con~ rna~ emerge from a spring. 4 Com posting A Safe and Sensible Alternative I mt<"ad nf tn~.;;ing chid\'n~ or wrkt·,-~ into a pn. many area g• 0\\ ('1":-. .m· tumin.~ to ( ornpmtinll" ·" .1 safe and semiblc ahL-rllati\(· fin dead-bird di-;pmal. "The pitc;, .:l iT ''onhk~<· Hcnr~ Hufl:~erc, a pouhn grower from Lincoln .. \rk .. ~aid . ''They're nothing but ;1 way to get the bird~ out of ~ iglu . The~ ''ill lTll~t m·c1 ,(j hard that you can't stick .1 pmt down in it. It takes o xygen. Without it, the chickens just lie there."' Huff acre has been com posting poultry for about~ ('ar. and he likes it. "You ha\(: to p:l\ .l!!!'lllion to your mixtu1 (',''he s,1icl . "The secret i!i not lO usc too rnueh \\'atcr ... He said that he ~pends about 20 minute!-> a d;n working the compmt. Huff acre said that freet.ing the birds for rendering imo protein for animal feed, a new management practice under development. \\'ill be the best way to deal '' ith the birds, but in times of high stress, when mortality rates ri .;;c dramatically, freezer capacity probably "on 't be able to keep pace. Except ,,·[H:n losses run to cata-;t rophic lnek hm,cvcr, com poster!> should be able to handle the load. he said. A com poster can be designed to fit any \ize operation. and they arc appro\'Cd for cost sharing through the L'SD. \ Agticulture Stabilit:ation and Cm1seiY<llion Sen icc . \SC:S . Composter!\ can be constructed on the fcum . or thctT al t' companies that can supply them read~·-made. Composting i5 simple. The 'recipe' eaJi o; fo r \dll'.H straw or some other carbon <>ounT su('h as '\01\\ du >l. manure and birds to be disposed or. The '>in• compo'-tt'l' needed depends on the size of the opn.nion . \\'!tile composting is strongly enn,uragwl . it o;Jwuld he 1-,>iven a good de:~! of thought bd<m· hl'ing .1dopted on .1 1;11'111. It docs require 20 to :m minutt·~ ol' nl.lill!cn.tncr· c.1ch d.1y. Le tting things go ranlt·.1d to .ttl odor prohkm. flit's and othl' r \'l'l"ll1in. By building or purcha~in~ .1 compo-.tt·r that fit s the opn.llion and In li >llcm in~ t he rccipt· , howt'\'t'l". 1\0IH' oftlwst· prohlt·nh ,Jtould otT tll . • \11 !'X('Cl!t· rH booklet pmdun·d !J, ti ll' L'ni\er.;i t\ nt-Arbn"a.~ CoopnatiH· Exh·nsion S !'l\ Ht ' tidt ·d Comfllll///1~ Hm/1!1 ( :.tu o U II',, <·xp lains hm' to <'urhtllll"t . 1 < umpo't lll\! S) Sl('lll . It disc u ,;scs t'nmposl man.tg<'lll<'IIL h,1, l'Oillpn~tt'l ('(Hl'itr'IU'tion p[;IIIS i l lld ,\IIS\\('J"'i 111.111\ fr l"'[ll!'ll lh .t~kl'd question~ t '<HH't'l'lli n l! compmting_ .:. HenrY Huffacrc Compostmg is rela tively easy. It turns waste into valuable fertilizer. protects the ground water. and unlike disposal pits. composters have very little odor and few flies . For more Information about composting. contact your Coop-erative Extension agent or a representative of the USDA Soli Conservation Serv1ce . Authors: T.C. Damtl, proflssor; D.R. Edu:nrds. assistaniJm!ftssor; DJ..A'ichofs, mrarrll assistant K.F. Stttlr, d~rtclor and proflssor: Strvr I Vi/krs, i1!{ommtion sprcinfist. - • • '<~t 77zis fact shut is a cooprrntit·r tjfort of tilt Arkansas Soil and ll'attr Conmvation Commission and tllr :1 rknsnn ,. f I ntrr Rtsourcrs Cmttr. A IVRC Fact ShrriJ art publisllrd Jlmudrcallj• I!)• tllr Arknnsns ll'attr Resourm Cmtrr. L ·niursi!l' 1!{ Arkllllsas, Fa;•t/Uvillt, Ark. i2 iO I. Dr. lltmtrtlt F. Strrlt. Direr/or. Stez.•t ll'ilku, Editor. A WRRC publications arrfru ufJo/1 request. A nomir~nf coJ!l'illg drnrgr is applied for oul-oj-Jirilll tit/6. Address correction requested Printed on recycled paper (~J ~--------------------------------- ::JJ----------------------------------~ AWRC Mansas Water Resources Center 113 Ozark HaU, University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 72701 (501) 575-4403 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 278 Faycttc\illc, Arkansas 

https://scholarworks.uark.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1185&context=awrctr

Fact Sheet no.2: Water Quality and Poultry Disposal Pits

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

ScholarWorks@UARK

UARK (University of Arkansas )