Post on 14-Dec-2015
Chicken Industry Programs to Prevent Water Pollution
Bill SatterfieldExecutive Director
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.June 5, 2013
How the Chicken Industry Operates
• Five Delmarva chicken companies• 1,600 farm families growing chickens• Companies provide chicks, feed, bird health
programs, bedding material, propane gas, and company oversight
• Growers provide land, houses, electricity, water, and day to day management
How Much Manure is Produced?
• University of Delaware/Delaware Department of Agriculture Data show:
• Chicken manure production in Sussex County is only 20% of EPA estimates
• Manure nitrogen concentration is only 40% of EPA estimates
• Manure phosphorus concentration is only 60% of EPA estimates
Delmarva’s Chicken Industry Pollution Contributions
• Delmarva chicken producing counties = 7.7% of Chesapeake Bay Watershed
• Delmarva chicken manure is responsible for just 6% of all Chesapeake Bay nitrogen from all Maryland sources
Cost Share to Assist Growers
• USDA/NRCS• State of Delaware Conservation Districts• Maryland Agricultural Cost Share Program• Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Locally Produced Organic Fertilizer
• Add micronutrients to aid in plant growth• Is a slow release fertilizer• Has a value of about $100/ton as a fertilizer• Selling for about $25 per ton• Not a waste product• In short supply in parts of Delmarva
Windrowing
• Year prior to windrowing = 350 tons of manure removed
• First year of windrowing = 166 tons• Second year of windrowing = 155 tons
Manure Transport
• Maryland– Chicken companies match state dollars for their
growers‘ costs– 85% moved out of Lower Shore Counties– 77% went to alternative uses
Manure Transport
• Delaware– 31% went farm to farm within Delaware– 38% went to non-Delaware farms– 31% went into alternative uses– In FY 2012, 87,000 tons of manure transported in
Delaware
Other Alternative Uses
• Burning to produce electricity• Anaerobic digestion to produce electricity or
gas• Farm Pilot Project Coordination, Inc.
So, how are we doing in Maryland?
Maryland WIP GoalsJuly 2011 – December 2012 Implementation vs. Milestone
• Manure transport 37,729 tons vs. 37,000 goal• Manure buildings 22 installed vs. 7 goal• Litter incorporation 85,000 acres vs. 24,000 goal• Litter Treatment 44 farms vs. 65 goal• Heavy use area pads 186 farms vs. 19 goal