Combining Poultry Manure Drying Systems for Environmental Benefits

This project focuses on quantifying and evaluating the benefits of integrating poultry manure rapid drying systems, like external drying tunnels, into aviary housing systems. The aim is to assess the environmental advantages of modern aviary farming systems housed in newly constructed sheds. The study includes measuring ammonia emissions from laying hens reared on slatted floors and perches in ground housing with forced longitudinal ventilation to potentially incorporate this method as Best Available Techniques (BAT). Additionally, it aims to quantify the decrease in ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions during the storage and agronomic spreading phases of dried laying hen manure compared to untreated manure by utilizing external drying tunnels in the aviary system. The project also aims to evaluate the potential reduction in emissions by incorporating food additives with antioxidant properties in laying hen feed. Furthermore, it involves the development of cost-effective sensors and prototype stations for detecting ammonia concentrations in real-scale laying farms.