Vegetative Buffers: From Biomass to Bedding

Project Type: Graduate Student
Funds awarded in 2016: $14,258.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2017
Grant Recipient: Penn State University
Region: Northeast
State: Pennsylvania
Graduate Student:
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Paul Patterson
Penn State University
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Michael Hulet
Penn State University
Dr. Jude Liu
Penn State University
Description:
This presentation was given at the 2017 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting, held July 17-21 in Orlando, FL at the symposium entitled, "Vegetative Buffers for Environmental Stewardship on Poultry Farms". The focus was on how biomass buffer species (switchgrass and biomass willow), whether planted as buffers or as field crops, can be harvested and used as poultry bedding. Particle size comparisons between the switchgrass beddings produced were evaluated to determine how particle distribution contributes to a bedding's overall success. The second half of the presentation detailed results from the willow project where green willow chips were compared to a commercial kiln-dried softwood shaving at our cooperator's broiler production facility.
Type:
Conference/Presentation Material
File:
Author:
Amy Barkley, Penn State University
Target audiences:
Educators; Researchers
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.