SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL VARIATIONS OF LITTER CHARACTERISTICS IN A COMMERCIAL TURKEY FINISHING BARN

The objective of this study was to identify spatial and temporal variations of litter characteristics in a commercial turkey finishing barn. Seven litter samples representing different areas of the barn (waterer and feeder areas, open areas of the barn) were collected during each sampling event. We analyzed the moisture content (MC), volatile solids (VS), ash, and nitrogen (N) content in the litter six times during a 56-day grow-out period for turkey hens on both a wet and dry basis. On a wet basis, generally, results showed significant differences in litter composition by position and time. By position, litter characteristics were generally wetter and less nutrient-dense around the waterer and feeder areas, compared to the open area in the middle of the barn. Over time, there was also a significant difference in litter composition between day 7, right after the birds were moved in, and day 56, towards the end of the grow-out period. Significant differences in N and VS concentrations (wet basis) were also observed during bird movement and/or bedding addition events. On a dry basis, there were generally significant differences by position but not by day. Findings from this work can inform sampling procedures for nutrient management planning. Litter characteristic data can also be used as input data for simple gas emission methods like the IPCC approach.