In-house composting in high-rise layer facilities

In-house composting of poultry manure in high-rise layer facilities may sol ve both fly control and manure disposal problems faced by egg producers. la yer and pullet manure was composted in high-rise facilities with various tu rning frequencies and sources and rates of carbon addition. Temperatures ex ceeding the lethal limit for flies (43 degrees) were achieved wit both whea t straw and sawdust, and with rates of carbon and carbon to nitrogen ratios lower than recommended for traditional composting systems. In-house compos ted material continued to heat when removed from facilities indicating that complete composting did not occur indoors. Frequent turning was critical t o maintain high composting temperatures wit layer manure. In-house composti ng with pullet manure was unsuccessful; because of its high moisture conten t, it failed to reach lethal temperatures even when more frequent turning s chedules and higher rates of carbon were used than for layer manure.