Closed-Loop Poultry System: Linking Local Feed, Egg Quality, Manure Composting, and Crop Recycling in the Southeastern US

Commodities

• Animals: poultry

Practices

• Animal Production: feed management
• Soil Management: composting, soil quality/health

The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate a practical, measurable, and replicable closed-loop poultry system capable of reducing purchased feed dependence, improving egg quality, and strengthening on-farm nutrient cycling for small poultry producers in the Southeastern United States. The proposed solution integrates three major components of sustainable poultry management-feed strategy, manure composting, and crop production-into one continuous system, providing a whole-farm model adaptable to producers with limited acreage, modest flocks, and rising input costs.

This project addresses a central challenge for small and mid-scale egg producers: the combined pressures of high feed costs, reliance on externally sourced protein ingredients, and underutilized manure fertility. Feed costs account for 60-70% of laying flock expenses, and most regional producers depend on conventional soybean-based protein shipped long distances. At the same time, manure from pasture-raised hens represents a nutrient resource that often goes unused or is applied inconsistently due to lack of guidance on its safe, effective use. The result is a system that is economically vulnerable and environmentally inefficient.

The proposed solution is to test whether a closed-loop approach-beginning with feed inputs, moving through manure composting and crop growth, and ultimately returning crop biomass to the hens-can measurably reduce purchased feed needs and improve farm-level sustainability. The project incorporates a critical research component: evaluating the effects of insect supplementation (black soldier fly larvae and mealworms) on hen performance, egg nutrition, and manure quality. Insect protein is a natural component of poultry diets, and there is increasing interest in whether sustainable insect inputs can raise egg quality and reduce feed conversion ratios. However, there is little on-farm data from small-scale Southeastern systems. This project will provide such data by comparing a standard non-GMO feed ration to a non-GMO ration enhanced with insects supplying 10-15% of dietary protein.

This research component is essential not only to understand feed impacts on hens, but also to examine how feed composition influences manure nutrient profiles, compost performance, and ultimately crop nutrient response. Manure from each feed treatment will be composted separately under controlled, monitored conditions using a static windrow method. Compost quality will be analyzed for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic matter, microbial activity, and stability. By linking feed inputs directly to compost outputs, the project will generate farm-scale data that help producers understand how feed choices affect soil fertility and nutrient cycling.

The next step of the proposed solution is evaluating whether compost derived from each treatment can reliably fertilize fast-growing, nutrient-dense crops suitable for poultry feed supplementation. Crops such as kale, amaranth, peas, or leafy brassicas will be planted in replicated plots, with nutrient analysis of soils and crop tissue before and after growth cycles. These crops are chosen for rapid growth, high protein or mineral density, and ease of incorporation into laying hen diets. This component will generate practical guidance on which crops respond best to poultry-manure compost and how nutrient cycling can be improved through targeted manure management.

The final stage closes the nutrient loop: harvested crops from each compost type will be fed back to the hens in their corresponding treatment groups. This allows evaluation of several critical factors: whether crops fertilized with compost can reduce purchased feed requirements; how nutrient-dense crops influence egg quality; whether recycled feed ingredients affect manure composition; and whether the overall nutrient flow demonstrates measurable efficiency gains. This step completes the closed-loop cycle and provides a full-system assessment of feed → manure → compost → crops → feed replacement → egg quality → manure outcomes.

This proposed solution is intentionally practical and suited to the scale of small producers in the Southeast. All research will utilize existing farm resources, a flock size typical of small operations, simple composting methods, small crop plots, and affordable testing tools. This ensures that results are directly applicable to similar farms and does not require specialized equipment or infrastructure. The system is designed to be replicable with minimal capital constraints, making it attractive to beginning farmers, diversified farms, and direct-market egg producers.

This project also provides value by integrating insect protein research-an emerging field-with nutrient cycling research, which is well established but rarely evaluated through a full closed-loop lens. By connecting these components, the project will provide insights into how feed strategies influence soil health and crop growth, and how nutrient recycling affects long-term farm sustainability.

The anticipated benefits of this proposed solution include:

• Reduced dependence on external feed inputs

• Improved egg quality metrics (Haugh units, shell strength, nutrient density)

• Clear data on insect supplementation and its economic value

• Measurable improvements in soil organic matter and biological activity

• Reliable composting protocols for poultry-manure management

• Practical crop recommendations for feed supplementation

• Quantified nutrient recycling efficiency

• A reproducible model for small poultry farms seeking greater resilience

This project will provide farmers, extension agents, and agricultural educators with a practical, evidence-based framework that strengthens economic viability, improves nutrient efficiency, and demonstrates sustainable poultry management at a scale accessible to most Southeastern farms.

Objective 1: Evaluate Feed Treatments (Non-GMO vs. Insect-Enhanced)

Experimental Setup

• Fifty pasture-raised laying hens will be divided into two treatment groups with three replicated pens per group.

• Treatment A: locally purchased non-GMO layer feed.

• Treatment B: same feed supplemented with black soldier fly larvae and mealworms providing 10-15% of dietary protein.

Data Collection

• Weekly: hen health observations, feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg counts, egg weights.

• Biweekly: yolk color (Roche fan).

• Monthly: Haugh units, shell strength, albumen height, egg protein content, omega-3 fatty acids (lab analysis).

Purpose

This component measures how insect intake affects egg quality, hen performance, and feed efficiency-providing the first link in the nutrient loop.

Objective 2: Analyze Manure and Produce Compost

Compost Production

• Manure from each treatment group will be collected separately.

• Composting will follow a static windrow method with scheduled turning.

• Temperature and moisture will be monitored using digital probes.

Analysis

• At compost initiation and end: NPK, organic matter, C:N ratio, pH, electrical conductivity.

• Microbial activity tests and compost stability indicators.

• Microbiological safety screening (Salmonella, E. coli).

Purpose

This determines how feed differences influence manure nutrient quality and compost performance.

Objective 3: Evaluate Crop Response to Compost

Plot Setup

• Replicated plots (10 × 10 ft) for each compost type + control.

• Crops: kale, amaranth, and peas (or similar nutrient-dense options).

Measurements

• Soil testing pre-planting and post-harvest.

• Germination rate, growth rate, biomass, leaf nutrient density.

• Total yield per plot.

Purpose

This identifies which crops respond best to poultry-manure compost and how nutrient flows vary by feed strategy.

Objective 4: Close the Nutrient Loop

Procedure

• Harvested crops from each compost type will be fed back to the hens in their corresponding treatment group.

• Crops will replace a targeted percentage of purchased feed (starting 5-10%, increasing as yield allows).

Data Collection

• Egg quality measurements repeated as in Objective 1.

• Feed displacement quantified by weighing crop inputs and reduced feed.

• Post-feeding manure samples taken to track nutrient shifts.

Purpose

This measures the system's ability to reduce purchased feed inputs and demonstrate whole-cycle nutrient efficiency.

Objective 5: Data Integration, Analysis, and Verification

Statistics

• Simple ANOVA or mixed-effects models with feed treatment as a fixed effect and pen as a random effect.

• Compost, soil, crop, egg, and feed intake data integrated into a nutrient flow model.

Verification

• Repeat key measures in year two for replication.