Nutrient composition of poultry manures in England and Wales

In this study, 121 poultry manure samples were collected from commercial holdings in England and Wales. The nutrient contents of the individual manure samples varied widely. In general, broiler/turkey litters had a higher dry matter content (c.60%) than layer manures (c.35%), although all manure types had similar concentrations of nutrients (N, P, K, Mg, S) on a dry weight basis. Typically N:P:K ratios were 6:2:2 for layer manures and 6:2:3 for broiler/turkey litters. The readily plant available N content (ammonium-N+uric acid-N) of the poultry manures was 30–50% of the total N. The dry matter content of poultry manures is suggested as a useful indicator of total fresh weight nutrient concentrations.