Livestock and poultry manure treatment: current situation, challenges, and the path of resource utilization

With the accelerated development of livestock and poultry farming towards scale and intensification, the discharge of various types of manure such as chicken manure, pig manure, and cow manure continues to rise. This phenomenon not only brings severe pressure to the ecological environment, but also contains enormous resource potential that urgently needs to be developed. From the perspective of environmental risks, improper disposal can easily lead to multiple pollution problems such as eutrophication of water bodies, accumulation of heavy metals in soil, and diffusion of air odors and harmful gases. This not only disrupts the natural ecological balance, but also directly threatens public health.
Starting from the dimension of resource value, if standardized disposal and transformation can be achieved through scientific and technological means, it can be transformed into high-quality resources such as Organic Fertilizers and bio natural gas, injecting key impetus into the green and circular development of agriculture.
Based on this, this article will combine the differentiated characteristics of chicken manure, pig manure, and cow manure to systematically analyze the current situation and core challenges of livestock and poultry manure treatment, and explore feasible and economical resource utilization solutions.
1、 Current situation and differences in characteristics of livestock and poultry manure production
（1） Chicken manure: With concentrated production, complex composition, and easy fermentation, the core characteristics of chicken farm manure are high production and concentrated emissions. Small and medium-sized chicken farms are mostly distributed in densely populated rural areas, and areas with high breeding density often exceed the environmental carrying capacity. Taking a chicken farm with 100000 chickens as an example, the daily amount of manure generated can reach 15-20 tons, with an initial moisture content of about 60% -75%. Improper management can easily produce a large amount of leachate.
Chicken manure is complex in composition, not only rich in high-quality nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but also containing pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella, as well as heavy metals such as copper and zinc residue from feed additives.
There is a significant seasonal fluctuation in its production. During spring and autumn, chickens feed vigorously, have active metabolism, and produce high amounts of manure; In the hot and rainy summer environment, chicken manure is prone to rapid fermentation, producing harmful gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Rainfall may also cause manure overflow; In winter, the temperature is relatively low, and although the yield has decreased, the low temperature will significantly reduce its natural fermentation and processing efficiency.（2） Pig manure: high moisture content and high concentration of pollutants. The prominent feature of pig manure is its high moisture content, usually between 60% -85%, high viscosity, and difficulty in dehydration, which poses significant challenges for subsequent treatment. The output of manure from large-scale pig farms is extremely astonishing. From piglets to pigs, a fattening pig produces about 300-400 kilograms of manure throughout its entire growth period. A pig farm with 10000 pigs can discharge tens or even hundreds of tons of manure per day.
Pig manure has high nitrogen and phosphorus content, as well as a large amount of organic matter, pathogenic microorganisms, and antibiotic residues. If directly discharged, it is highly likely to pollute water bodies through surface runoff, leading to eutrophication of water bodies or affecting groundwater quality through soil infiltration. At the same time, during the stacking process, it is prone to emit foul odors and pollute the surrounding air environment. In addition, the high degree of scale in pig farming and the concentrated discharge of manure make pollution risks more sudden and concentrated.
（3） Cow manure: With a large yield and high fiber content, the significant characteristics of cow manure are high yield, high fiber content, and a moisture content between chicken manure and pig manure, about 65% -80%. An adult dairy cow produces about 30-40 kilograms of manure per day, and the amount of manure discharged from large-scale dairy farms is considerable.
The organic matter content in cow manure is abundant, and the nutrient elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are relatively balanced. The residual amount of heavy metals is low, and the environmental risk is relatively small. However, due to its dense fiber structure and slow natural decomposition rate, long-term storage not only occupies a large amount of land, but also produces odors due to insufficient fermentation. Moreover, returning the soil directly without treatment can easily lead to a decrease in soil permeability and affect crop growth.
The amount of cow manure produced is greatly affected by the breeding mode. Large scale breeding farms have concentrated emissions, while cattle manure from free range households is mostly scattered and piled up, making it difficult to collect.
2、 Common challenges faced in the treatment of livestock and poultry manure
The processing technology is relatively backward: most breeding farms, especially small and medium-sized farmers, still use traditional composting or direct returning methods. Traditional composting lacks standardized management, and the manure is often not fully decomposed. After application, it is easy to cause crop seedlings to burn, and the foul odor emitted during the stacking process seriously affects air quality; Some households even directly discharge or simply wash away manure, causing the manure to seep into the ground or flow into rivers and ditches, leading to water pollution. A few farms that attempt biogas engineering often encounter problems such as unstable gas production and poor treatment efficiency due to immature technology, unreasonable process design, or inadequate maintenance, making it difficult to achieve sustained and stable operation. Serious lack of capital investment: Modern manure treatment facilities such as solid-liquid separation equipment, high-temperature fermentation tanks, organic fertilizer production lines, etc. have high construction and operation costs, often requiring investments of tens of thousands to millions of yuan. Small scale free range households have meager profits and lack sufficient funds for facility construction; Although medium-sized farms have the willingness to handle it, they are limited by profit margins and investment capabilities, making it difficult to afford the construction and operation costs of modern processing systems; Even large-scale aquaculture enterprises face significant financial pressure due to high sustained investment. Once there are loopholes in technology or management, it is highly likely to trigger concentrated and severe pollution incidents. The management system is not perfect enough: some breeding farms have weak environmental awareness, lack scientific concepts for manure management, and have not established a regular process for manure collection, storage, and treatment. Fecal storage facilities are rudimentary, often stored outdoors or in simple ponds, and are prone to problems such as leakage and overflow; At the same time, the lack of professional technical personnel for operation and maintenance management often makes it difficult for existing processing facilities to achieve optimal results, and even leads to system failures due to improper operation.
3、 Green recycling solution for livestock and poultry manure: classified policies, building a full chain system
In response to the differences in characteristics of chicken manure, pig manure, and cow manure, as well as the actual needs of different scale breeding farms, Guogangtong Technology Group relies on "personalized solutions+hardcore technology+full chain services" to build a complete green circulation system from "breeding treatment returning to farmland", realizing the transformation of manure into treasure. （1） Classification strategy: customized solutions for different scale breeding entities. Small/scattered farming households: These groups have a large number, scattered distribution, limited funds, and traditional processing methods are extensive. In this regard, low-cost and easy to operate treatment solutions should be provided, such as promoting small modular fermentation devices, simplifying composting processes, equipping simple deodorization equipment, and guiding farmers to standardize fermentation and return to the field; At the same time, establish regional fecal collection points to centrally treat dispersed fecal waste and reduce individual treatment costs.
Medium/concentrated farmers: These farmers have the willingness to handle but limited funds, and need to provide a cost-effective integrated solution. Strengthen dehydration pretreatment for pig manure with high moisture content, optimize fermentation process for cow manure with high fiber content, and increase disinfection treatment for pathogenic microorganisms in chicken manure; Provide a one-stop service of "consultation design installation debugging" to reduce the technical threshold and operational pressure for customers.
Large scale breeding farms/enterprises: As the main source of manure production, it is necessary to build a large-scale and intelligent treatment system. Promote the full chain model of "solid-liquid separation aerobic fermentation organic fertilizer production"; Simultaneously equipped with an online monitoring system, real-time monitoring of pollutant emissions, fermentation efficiency, and other indicators during the manure treatment process ensures stable and compliant treatment results. （2） Core technology: Building a closed-loop system for manure resource utilization, solid-liquid separation and leachate treatment technology: Developing and promoting low-cost and high-efficiency solid-liquid separation equipment, targeting the high viscosity of pig manure and high moisture content of chicken manure, to improve separation efficiency and reduce subsequent treatment pressure; Establish a leachate treatment system that combines physical and chemical treatment with biological treatment to achieve standard discharge or recycling of leachate.
Efficient fermentation technology: Optimize the fermentation process for different characteristics of manure, and use high-temperature aerobic fermentation to quickly kill pathogenic microorganisms and degrade heavy metal activity in chicken manure; Pig manure needs to be dehydrated before undergoing medium temperature fermentation to improve fermentation efficiency; Cow manure can be treated with microbial agents to accelerate fiber degradation and shorten the fermentation cycle. Through technological optimization, ensure that manure is fully decomposed and converted into safe and efficient organic fertilizer. （3） Full chain service: Ensure the implementation and effectiveness of manure treatment plans, and establish a full process service system of "front-end consultation - scheme design - equipment installation - technical debugging - operation and maintenance guidance". Relying on a professional technical team, personalized treatment plans are customized according to the actual situation of the farm, such as scale, breeding varieties, and geographical environment. For small-scale free range households, strengthen technical training and on-site guidance to enhance their standardized handling capabilities; For medium to large-scale breeding farms, we provide "turnkey" engineering services and arrange professional personnel to escort the entire process. We regularly maintain equipment and upgrade technology to ensure precise and efficient operation at every stage of the project. At the same time, we will promote the establishment of a closed-loop system of "breeding treatment returning to the field", promote the utilization of organic fertilizer returning to the field, achieve the circular value-added of manure resources, and assist in the green development of agriculture.
Actual photo of manure treatment at a certain aquaculture farm in Guogangtong
The treatment and resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure is a systematic project that needs to fully consider the differences in characteristics of different types of manure such as chicken manure, pig manure, and cow manure, and solve multiple problems such as technology, funding, and management. Only through classified policy solutions, hardcore technical support, and full chain service guarantees can we effectively solve the problem of manure pollution, transform it into high-quality organic fertilizer, promote the coordinated development of the aquaculture industry and the ecological environment, and build a sustainable agricultural green circular system.