The optimal ratio of manure to vegetative waste is more like 1 to 3, but 20/80 is close and would work. When that material is finished digesting the pH should be closer to neutral, or in the 6.2 to 7.0 range which is good. If you have the equipment to turn the material that would be good and would help the bacteria that digest it.

kimmq is kimmsr

You could just make windrows and let it decompose, turning a couple of times with a backhoe.

How do you plan to use it? Sell? Your own fields?

I actually get around 6000 Ton's per year and spread most of it in Hayfields or cow pastures but in the off season (winter time) I have a lot of overflow. I was thinking about composting it in windrows and purchasing a turner. Selling it in bulk to nurserys and landscape companies. Maybe by the bag also. Just not sure if it would be profitable with the amount of equipment I would have to purchase. I already have a backhoe, a front end loader and a small dump truck. I would need a l large windrow Turner and a couple of large trucks to be productive.

Here in Utah, there is a very popular compost made from turkey litter, it is called Nutri Mulch, and is an excellent product, it sells for about $6 a bag

Thank you Laurie for sharing that product. I don't think there is anything like that in my area. Definitely something to inspire me to go foward. I spoke with a couple of local nurserys today and they are interested in trying it out! So maybe there is potential. I think i may give away some to a few local nurserys for feedback.

Here is their website http://www.nutrimulch.com/

Good luck with your new venture!

Laurie

direct application on crop fields during the off season would likely benefit the soil greatly.

It does improve the soil a lot to spread in the off season (especially in this area because we have very sandy soil) but a lot of people want it spread on freshly planted hay. The nitrogen really makes it jump. I do spread some during the winter but nowhere close to what I do in the spring and summer. So I stockpile a lot in the winter. I had one guy ask me to spread it on concrete where a factory had been torn down. We put about a 4" to 5" layer on it over the winter and he planted Bermuda hay on it the following spring. We turned a giant concrete pad into a beautiful hay field.

Just an update, went ahead and composted some. Here are the test results. What do you guys think?

Why such high levels of Aluminum?

I don't believe I have seen Al reported in poultry manure before.

kimmq is kimmsr

I'm not sure about the Al but I'm in the process of composting two more piles from different farms one a covered row and one not covered. I think it lost a lot of nitrogen from leaching. I am going to test both rows and compare them. Is the amount of Al cause for concern?

Aluminum makes up 8% of the earth's crust so it is a very abundant element - in fact, it is the most abundant metal. 8%, by the way, is 80,000 ppm.

That said, I don't have a feel for what typical levels would be in any kind of compost, so I can't say that 3000 ppm is a problem. I'm going to guess that if you use a lot of this stuff over time, you'll likely have more of a problem with high P developing in your soil than anything else.

Here are the before and after test from Clemson university.