Integrating poultry manure into grassland farming
Wales has experienced a rapid rise in poultry farming over the last 15 years, more notably in laying birds. In August 2022 it was highlighted that there were over 300 sheds containing over 10 million birds in Powys alone, and numbering more than the 9.5 million sheep total for Wales. Moreover, these poultry units are now dotted throughout grassland farming areas, many in the uplands, whereas previously they were more aligned with the arable borderlands of Wales.
Poultry manure is a valuable resource containing between 2-4 times the nitrogen, phosphate, potash and sulphur levels of cattle manure (Table 1).
The use of poultry manure as an organic fertiliser therefore has great potential to displace bought in fertiliser products, but to achieve the best results, it is important that it is applied when plants are actively growing, at an appropriate application rate and where nutrients are needed. However, excessive use of poultry manure as a fertiliser can lead to loss of nutrients to the environment through processes such as erosion, runoff, leaching and volatilisation, and thereby contributing to the deterioration of air, soil and water quality.
Further complications exist in integrating poultry manure into a grassland setting where utilisation of the manure by an actively growing crop as grazed or ensiled forage is associated with animal consumption. It is recommended that poultry manure should be allowed to break down fully before grazing or cutting to prevent transmission of pathogens, which is suggested to take 4-6 weeks. This time frame is not always available on an intensive rotational grazing platform or a multi cut silage system, but may be more appropriate where a field is cultivated for an arable crop.
This project will examine how best to integrate poultry manure from a 32,000 bird layers unit on two grassland farms, one with a dairy herd and sheep and the other with beef and sheep.
This project aligns with the following Sustainable Land Management outcomes:
Clean air
Clean water
Reducing farm greenhouse gas emissions
Improvement in maximising carbon storage and sequestration whilst reducing the whole-farm carbon footprint
Resource efficient
Boosting silage by introducing a red clover re-seed and overseeding high yielding grass varieties to existing leys to enhance production and quality
Cwmcowddu is a thriving 540-acre grassland operation and is committed to optimising its silage production for the benefit of its diverse livestock system. This project explores a two-pronged approach: introducing red clover leys and evaluating the effectiveness of straight silage leys.
Red clover leys offer the potential to simultaneously improve dry matter yields and protein content. Their nitrogen-fixing capabilities can boost soil fertility, while their deeper roots may enhance drought resilience. By incorporating red clover into our existing ley mixtures, we aim to achieve a more balanced and nutritious silage, ultimately enhancing livestock health, performance, and overall farm efficiency by increasing drought resilience and improved soil fertility due to nitrogen fixation. The red clover ley will also have the potential to finish lambs through grazing the silage aftermath without the input of concentrate feeds.
In parallel, we will assess the viability of straight silage leys, exploring their potential to maximise dry matter output through productive grass species. Straight silage leys often contain highly productive grass species that can deliver substantial yields. This approach may allow us to optimise the volume of silage produced, ensuring a vast supply of feed for the stock at Cwmcowddu.
Through collaboration with agricultural experts and careful monitoring, we will evaluate the effectiveness of both approaches in achieving our silage production goals, paving the way for a more sustainable and productive future for Cwmcowddu.
The project will also contribute to the Sustainable Land Management outcomes including:
Resource efficiency
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
Protected natural landscapes and historic environment