Agricultural News
Comparing Costs and Benefits of Poultry Litter v. Commercial Fertilizer
Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:45:35 CST
The following article was published in latest Poultry Practices newsletter from Oklahoma State University.
What is litter worth? The actual value to the end-buyer depends on the nutrient needs of the field. Additionally, the cost of loading, transportation and application will affect the end buyer's total cost and should be considered when comparing the cost and benefits of litter vs. commercial fertilizer.
While keeping those facts in mind, the nutrient value of litter is commonly estimated based on current commercial fertilizer prices (reported as price/lb nutrient) and the litter nutrient analysis (reported as lbs/ton). For example, if calculating the N, P and K value of litter, we know that on average broiler litter contains 63, 61 and 50 lbs/ton of N, P2O5 and K2O.
Using February 2013 prices for commercial N, P2O5 and K2O and assuming long-term availability of 70 percent for N and 100% for P and K, we can determine the potential major nutrient value of the litter:
Litter N: $0.59/lb x 63 lbs/ton x 70% N availability = $26.02/ton
Litter P: $0.42/lb x 61 lbs/ton = $25.62/ton
Litter K: $0.45/lb x 50 lbs/ton = $22.50/ton
Liming Value = $ 2.00/ton
Total Potential Nutrient Value: $76.14/ton
Check out the Fertilizer Value Calculator at ok-littermarket.org and download the free Fertilizer Decision-Support Computer Program available at soiltesting.okstate.edu for on-line tools to assist with comparing the value of litter to commercial fertilizer.
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