BROILER LITTER AS A FERTILIZER OR LIVESTOCK FEED

The growth in the broiler industry and the concomitant increase in the broiler litter generated out of these operations, coupled with increa sed environmental awareness, has resulted in increased interest by pro ducers and scientists in uses for broiler litter, Long-term land appli cations of broiler titter have resulted in a buildup of some nutrients in certain soils. Research results indicate that annual application r ates of up to 4 tons/acre of litter are acceptable, but should be acco mpanied by annual soil testing, Broiler litter of adequate quality is acceptable as a livestock feed, provided the litter is properly proces sed prior to feeding. When used as a livestock feed, the ash level in litter is of concern due to its negative effects on the nutritive valu e (total digestible nutrients, TDN) of litter diets containing relativ ely high ash levels, Based on expected levels of performance, broiler litter-based diets require varying levels of grain to meet the nutrien t requirements of different classes of livestock. Broiler litter can b e used as both fertilizer and livestock feed, and the combining of bro iler production with a commercial beef operation represents an attract ive integration of two enterprises.