Poultry Waste Management Research Articles

Life cycle analysis of anaerobic digestion processes of poultry litter

This article presents results of life-cycle assessment of anaerobic digestion processes of poultry litter (PL) preceded or not by thermal pretreatment (autohydrolysis). For this, the environmental impact categories, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, eutrophication, and soil acidification were evaluated using the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method. Based on primary data provided by a partner company, life-cycle inventories were constructed for three forms of poultry waste management: i. disposal of in natura PL into the soil, which is the commonly used management technique; ii. anaerobic digestion of in natura PL; and iii. thermal pre-treatment by autohydrolysis of PL before its anaerobic digestion. It is concluded that anaerobic digestion of PL reduces GHG emissions compared to the “business as usual” scenario of soil disposal. The use of digestate (liquid fraction generated by PL anaerobic digestion) as soil fertilizer would result in avoided GHG emissions of 34%, while thermal pre-treatment by autohydrolysis of PL prior to its anaerobic digestion would result in a slightly lower reduction (27%) in GHG. Anaerobic digestion of in natura PL would also reduce the eutrophication potential by 98.2% (kg eq PO4-3/t litter) and the acidification potential by 98.4% (kg eq SO2/t litter) compared to its soil disposal. These results show that anaerobic digestion is a more sustainable way to manage PL than its environmental discharge.

Poultry waste management in Nigeria: a neglected sector

The recent surge in poultry production has led to an increase in poultry waste production. Waste from poultry production often includes hatchery waste, dead birds, condemned carcasses, and manure. Manure is normally applied to agricultural soils as a source of fertilizer. Excessive production of waste from poultry farms and its improper disposal has led to air pollution and contamination of agricultural farmlands and eventually surface and water groundwater pollution and this has become a major public health concern to the society. Improper disposal of poultry waste affects poultry farmers, individuals residing close to the farms, and the environment. Published articles on poultry production and poultry waste management were retrieved from the search engine Google Scholar and were used to summarize the impact of poultry waste as a source of contamination and/or pollution to the environment with associated public health implications on animals and humans. Options for proper disposal and utilization of waste from poultry production are further discussed.

Willingness to pay for the production of biogas from poultry waste recycling: Evidence from farmers in Nigeria

Poultry waste management and the energy demand have generated environmental and climate change concerns. Experts have suggested converting poultry waste to biogas energy through recycling to reduce these concerns. Biogas, a poultry waste-recycling product, has yet to gain popularity in Nigeria. However, there is only limited research that has examined awareness of biogas, along with farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for it and their payment capacity (PC). Data generated through focus group discussions with and questionnaires completed by 225 poultry farmers selected through multistage sampling were analysed using descriptive and contingency valuation methods. The study established differentials in the magnitude of determinants of households’ WTP and PC. Farmers’ willingness to pay was mostly responsive to variables tied to the type of farm product and household endowment, while the capacity to pay was tied to income and environmental conditions. The study proposes that policy on farmers’ willingness to pay for biogas from poultry production should take into account differences in the type of poultry product, household endowment, and environmental conditions.

Integrated poultry waste management by co-digestion with perennial grass: Effects of mixing ratio, pretreatments, reaction temperature, and effluent recycle on biomethanation yield

This work aims to enhance the efficiency of integrated poultry waste management in bio-circular-green economy by maximizing the co-digestion of chicken manure and its digestate-grown biomass. In a series of batch assays, Napier grass (NG) was mixed with chicken manure (CM) at various proportions (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 20:80 and 0:100) to identify co-substrate synergism, followed by physiochemical conditioning (size reduction and ultrasonication) of NG before co-digestion. Results indicated that NG mix of at least 80% was required to gain a full methanation potential of the individual substrates; no synergistic ratio above unity was found. However, the combined effect of size reduction and sonication was found to markedly improve the co-substrate’s biodegradability by 88.7%. The findings were then used to run continuous co-digestion at various operating regimes. In optimal continuous co-digestion condition, NG particle size of 0.6–2.4 mm combined with sonication intensity at 1111 kJ/kgTS improved biomethanation yield as high as 106.3%. Sub-thermophilic digestion at 45 °C was shown to give a higher and more stable CH4 yield than at 55 °C. Finally, it was also found that recycling liquid effluent at 40% to replace freshwater in feed, although showed no significant difference in CH4 yield (α = 0.05), noticeably increased system buffer capacity. This optimized biodegradation regime could give co-digestion waste management a higher overall plant efficiency and economic return.

Poultry farmers' knowledge, attitude, and practices toward poultry waste management in Bangladesh.

The improper handling of poultry litter and waste poses risks to humans and environment by introducing certain compounds, elements, and pathogenic microorganisms into the surrounding environment and food chain. However, understanding the farmers' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) could provide insights into the constraints that hinder the appropriate adoption of waste management. Therefore, this study aimed to assess poultry farmers' KAP regarding waste management issues. A cross-sectional KAP study was conducted with native poultry keepers and small-scale commercial poultry farmers in seven districts of Bangladesh. In the survey, 385 poultry producers were interviewed using validated structured questionnaires through face-to-face interviews to collect the quantitative data in their domiciles. The overall KAP of farmers regarding poultry waste management issues demonstrated a low level of KAP (p = 0.001). The analysis shows that roughly 5% of farmers have a high level of knowledge of poultry waste management issues, followed by around one-third of respondents having a moderate level of knowledge. Considering the attitude domain, more than one-fifth of native poultry keepers and nearly two-thirds of commercial producers demonstrated a low level of attitude toward poultry waste management. Considering the overall analysis, roughly half of the respondents found a high level of attitude, and over half of the farmers showed a moderate level of attitude toward poultry waste management issues. The analysis showed that the level of good practices for native and commercial poultry production systems is estimated at 77.3% versus 45.9%, respectively, despite the farmers' lesser knowledge and attitudes toward poultry waste management systems. Overall, analysis showed that nearly 60% and 40% of poultry producers had high and moderate levels, respectively, of good practices in poultry waste management issues. Analysis of the KAP data shows that farmers had a low level of KAP toward poultry waste management. The result of this study will assist in formulating appropriate strategies and to adopt poultry waste management solutions by poultry farmers to reduce environmental degradation.

Environmental Policy to Develop a Conceptual Design for the Water–Energy–Food Nexus: A Case Study in Wadi-Dara on the Red Sea Coast, Egypt

In the next twenty years, the scarcity of food shortage and drinking water will appear in Egypt due to the growth of industries and agriculture. This paper develops a conceptual design of the new technologies in the field of water–energy–food in new cities. Border lines are the internal relationship, external influence, and linkage system evaluation for WEF nexus. The major problems of using fossil energy in desalination are emissions and non-renewability, as well as the preference for dispersed freshwater production instead of concentrated output. The design of a desalination system that is integrated with renewable energies is critical these days. This type of system can also reduce the production of environmental pollutants due to reduced energy consumption and transfer of freshwater. GIS data from the United Nations have confirmed the existence of an underground reservoir in Wadi-Dara that can cultivate 1000 acres using smart farming techniques to reach a circular economy for an integrated solution between the water–energy nexus. The possibility of cultivating a hundred acres in Wadi-Dara on the Red Sea coast exists, through which about one million people could be settled. In this comprehensive review, we conducted a deep study in order to establish a sustainable integrated lifestyle in the Dara Valley region in terms of the availability of potable water, clean energy, and agriculture. Sustainable integrated solutions were conducted for seawater desalination using beach sand filtration wells as a pretreatment for seawater using renewable energy, e.g., wind energy (18% wind turbines), and photovoltaic panels (77% PV panels). Strategic food will be cultivated using smart farming that includes an open ponds cultivation system of microalgal cells to synthesis (5.0% of bio-fuel (. Aqua agriculture and aquaponics will cultivate marine culture and integrate mangrove, a shrimp aquaculture. A municipal waste water treatment is conceived for the irrigation of shrubby forests and landscapes. Mixotrophic cultures were explored to achieve a sustained ecological balance. Food, poultry and animal waste management, as well as a cooker factory, were included in the overall design. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) study shows a low risk due to anticipated net zero emissions, a 75% green city, and optimal waste recycling. This research assists in combining research efforts to address the challenging processes in nexus research and build resilient and sustainable water, energy, and food systems.

Poultry waste management practices in Bangladesh: Farmer's perceptions, and food and environmental hazards.

The poultry industry plays a key role in developing socio-economic and health sectors in Bangladesh. Poultry waste is a potential environmental threat as untreated poultry waste is used in vegetable gardens. The study aimed to investigate the current situation of small-scale poultry farms and their waste management practices in selected areas of Bangladesh and detect Escherichia coli and Salmonella in vegetables from farms using untreated poultry waste as fertilizer. A structured questionnaire-based survey was conducted in 86 small-scale poultry farms from different upazilas of Mymensingh and Khulna districts. 104 samples, including vegetables, poultry litter, water, and soil, were collected from vegetable gardens, ponds, fields, and wet markets in Mymensingh district to detect microbial contamination. Bacteria were identified based on their growth and colony morphology on selective media and motility tests. The presence of E. coli and Salmonella was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a commercial PCR kit. The survey revealed that mostly middle-aged males were involved in poultry farming. Most of the farmers had primary education and engaged in farming for about 5 years without training. In the study area, 37% of farmers collected droppings daily in the morning and used them as organic fertilizer. About 58% of farmers did not know the hygienic handlings of droppings and faced health problems. In PCR, either E. coli or Salmonella or both were confirmed in vegetables, litter, soil, and pond water. Appropriate poultry waste management practices can reduce the possible contamination of microbial agents in the human food chain.

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSING OF ORGANIC POULTRY WASTE AND ITS USE IN AGRICULTURE

Up-to-date biotechnologies are involved in the biological transformation of organic poultry waste into an environmentally friendly fertilizer that can preserve soil fertility and significantly improve yields. Currently, no more than 35% of livestock manure is used as a fertilizer in Uzbekistan. The use of poultry manure at poultry farms in Uzbekistan has been poorly addressed today. Poultry manure is discarded outside the poultry farms, where it is either filled with pits not suitable for storage or unloaded in a specially designated area. Afterwards, it is not used and causes tremendous damage to the environment. At the same time, bird droppings contain high macro and microelements, which form the basis for their value as organic fertilizers. The article analyzes and summarizes the practical use of biotechnological processing of bird droppings into a fertilizer and its further application on strawberry seeds as one of the reasonable solutions to the economic and environmental safety of poultry production under industrial conditions. The relevance of the topic. The solution to the problem of manure recycling is to improve the environmental situation, soil fertility and crop yields. The research is aimed at processing organic poultry waste and the impact of organic fertilizer, which is based on chicken manure, on soil fertility and crop yields. The laboratory and field studies on poultry waste management have been carried out on the territory of OOO Silver Eagle Plus (LLC) poultry farm in Tashkent region using the method of anaerobic fermentation and assessment of organic fertilizer quality as the most rational one for agriculture. The studied objects have been organic waste from OOO Silver Eagle Plus (LLC) poultry farm in Tashkent region, meadow soil and Joydori strawberry seeds. The research results have shown that the method of methane digestion is effective against pathogens in organic poultry waste; the process increases the number of useful bacteria and the generation of metabolites such as organic acid. Biotechnological poultry waste disposal reduces the processing time of the source material by 1.5 times. The study has revealed that the application of organic fertilizer based on chicken droppings has had a positive impact on soil structure, which has enhanced its aeration and ensured proper vegetative root system development. KEYWORDS: biotechnological processing, poultry farming, organic waste, anaerobic digestion, biofertilizer, soil fertility, ecology.

Isolation of Keratinolytic Bacteria from Common Ostrich (Struthio Camelus) and their Efficacy towards Feather Degradation of Poultry Waste

Keratinolytic microorganisms have the capacity to biosynthesize particular keratinases and determine theirprospective application in poultry waste management. Hence, the objective of this study was to utilize keratinolytic microbes for the degradation of poultry waste. For this purpose, the feathers of common ostrich (Struthio camelus) were collected, scattered along the surrounding dry soil, from a private ostrich farm in Kasur, Pakistan. Bacteria were isolated by using culture enrichment techniques and screened for their proteolytic activity on skim milk agar. The isolates were characterized clonially, morphologically, and biochemically and labeled as SNO1, SNO2, and SNO3, respectively. The effects of varied pH and temperatures were recorded on bacterial growth and feather degradation. It was noticed that the bacterial cell densities and feather degradation were high at 50˚C and pH 8.0, as compared to the rest of the culture conditions. Visual observations were made using a stereomicroscope. The maximum feather degradation in the form of white powdery mass was noticed at fourth (4 th ) week. The protein content of Struthio camelus feathers was determined as 6.5 mg/100 ml after degradation. Taken together, the authors concluded that the isolated strains were capable of feather degradation and can be used in poultry waste management.

An alternative approach for controlling bacterial pathogens in liquid and solid poultry waste using Calcium hypochlorite Ca(OCl)2 disinfectant-based silver nanoparticles

Inappropriate handling of poultry waste from the beginning to the end of the production cycle could lead to health and environmental hazards. The purpose of this study was to assess the current state of poultry waste management practices as well as to evaluate the efficacy of disinfectants (VIRKON S, Quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), Calcium hypochlorite [Ca(OCl)2], and nanomaterials (nano-silver particles (Ag NPs), and Ca(OCl)2-Ag NPs composite) on pathogenic bacteria for use in the disinfection of waste collection areas within poultry operation systems. Two hundred and ten samples were gathered from variant waste types for isolation and identification of pathogenic bacteria. Then, the efficacy of some disinfectants against fifty strains of isolated bacteria was evaluated using a broth micro-dilution assay. Results showed the most predominant bacterial isolates from wastes were E. coli (33.69%), Salmonella spp. (26.09%), followed by K. pneumonae (15.22%) and L. monocytogenes (14.13%). Ca(OCl)2-Ag NPs had a microbial lethal effect against all pathogenic bacteria (100%) that were isolated from liquid and solid waste. In conclusion, poultry manure waste is collected and dumped on the agricultural land around those chicken farms without any treatment. The Ca(OCl)2-Ag NPs composite was lethal to all pathogenic microbes isolated from waste and their collected areas at 1.0 mg/L concentration.

Parametrically optimized feather degradation by Bacillus velezensis NCIM 5802 and delineation of keratin hydrolysis by multi-scale analysis for poultry waste management

Enormous amounts of keratinaceous waste make a significant and unexploited protein reserve that can be utilized through bioconversion into high-value products using microbial keratinases. This study was intended to assess the keratinase production from a newly isolated B. velezensis NCIM 5802 that can proficiently hydrolyze chicken feathers. Incubation parameters used to produce keratinase enzyme were optimized through the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with chicken feathers as substrate. Optimization elevated the keratinase production and feather degradation by 4.92-folds (109.7 U/mL) and 2.5 folds (95.8%), respectively. Time-course profile revealed a direct correlation among bacterial growth, feather degradation, keratinase production and amino acid generation. Biochemical properties of the keratinase were evaluated, where it showed optimal activity at 60 °C and pH 10.0. The keratinase was inhibited by EDTA and PMSF, indicating it to be a serine–metalloprotease. Zymography revealed the presence of four distinct keratinases (Mr ~ 100, 62.5, 36.5 and 25 kDa) indicating its multiple forms. NMR and mass spectroscopic studies confirmed the presence of 18 free amino acids in the feather hydrolysates. Changes in feather keratin brought about by the keratinase action were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and spectroscopic (FTIR, Raman) analyses, which showed a decrease in the total crystallinity index (TCI) (1.00–0.63) and confirmed the degradation of its crystalline domain. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the sequential structural changes occurring in the feather keratin during degradation. Present study explored the use of keratinolytic potential of the newly isolated B. velezensis NCIM 5802 in chicken feather degradation and also, unraveled the underlying keratin hydrolysis mechanism through various analyses.

Isolation of Keratinolytic Bacteria from Common Ostrich (Struthio Camelus) and their Efficacy towards Feather Degradation of Poultry Waste

Keratinolytic microorganisms have the capacity to biosynthesize particular keratinases and determine their prospective application in poultry waste management. Hence, the objective of this study was to utilize keratinolytic microbes for the degradation of poultry waste. For this purpose, the feathers of common ostrich (Struthio camelus) were collected, scattered along the surrounding dry soil, from a private ostrich farm in Kasur, Pakistan. Bacteria were isolated by using culture enrichment techniques and screened for their proteolytic activity on skim milk agar. The isolates were characterized clonially, morphologically, and biochemically and labeled as SNO1, SNO2, and SNO3, respectively. The effects of varied pH and temperatures were recorded on bacterial growth and feather degradation. It was noticed that the bacterial cell densities and feather degradation were high at 50˚C and pH 8.0, as compared to the rest of the culture conditions. Visual observations were made using a stereomicroscope. The maximum feather degradation in the form of white powdery mass was noticed at fourth (4th) week. The protein content of Struthio camelus feathers was determined as 6.5 mg/100 ml after degradation. Taken together, the authors concluded that the isolated strains were capable of feather degradation and can be used in poultry waste management.

Economics of Poultry Waste Management Policy in South East Nigeria: Exploring the Determinants using Choice Experiment Model

Background: The study was motivated by the lack of poultry waste management policy in Nigeria to develop better initiatives for the development of green and alternative energy sources to mitigate climate change. Multiplicities of researches have neglected the research in this area despite the environmental health concerns and benefits associated with it. Methods: The study was conducted in 2019. Three states with a high concentration of poultry farmers in South East Nigeria were selected. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select poultry farmers and policy actors for the study. Data sourced from primary sources were analyzed with descriptive statistics inferential statistics and a choice experiment model. Result: The result from the study showed that all the farmers depended on fossil fuel for processing and preservation while only 5.79 per cent depended on biogas energy sources. In addition, the study showed that the farmers’ preference for pollution control was significantly determined by pollution fee (p less than 0.01), biogas subsidy (p less than 0.01), technical standard (p less than 0.01) and manure handling rate (p less than 0.01) and the manure market (p less than 0.01). The result of the interaction of the coefficient of variable showed that socio-economic characteristics were significantly determined by education (p less than 0.05) and environmental condition assessment (p less than 0.01). The study suggests the incorporation of biogas subsidy in the national subsidy framework to attract the deserved attention from farmers, private and public on the economic and health benefits of environmental protection.

Awareness, Attitude and Behavioural Intention of Medium and Large Scale Poultry Producers to Poultry Waste Management Practices in Lagos State: A Principal Component Analysis

The study analyzed awareness, attitude and behavioural intentions of medium and large scale poultry producers to poultry waste management practices in Lagos State with reference to problems of poor on-farm harness of excessive poultry waste, retrogression/unmet global environmental and economic waste management standards, exorbitant waste management charges imposed by LAWMA. Purposive and simple random sampling (using the lottery draw approach) was used in the selection of sixty (60) medium scale poultry farmers and forty (40) large scale poultry farmers, making a grand total of one hundred (100) medium and large scale poultry farmers interviewed in the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the selected medium and large scale poultry farmers with the aid of a list provided by the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos chapter. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to analyse the data. In the principal component analysis for medium scale poultry farmers, the key component named was that LAWMA should offer special service for isolated dead bird collection (V75); and for large scale poultry farmers, the key component was that the disposal of poultry waste in an environmentally friendly way is LAWMA’s duty (V76). The study recommended that the government makes provisions to offer awareness campaigns in order to improve environmental knowledge and encourage environmental enthusiasm amongst society.

Current state of poultry waste management practices in Bangladesh, environmental concerns, and future recommendations.

This review paper focuses on the current state of poultry waste generation, composition, and management techniques in commercial poultry farms and trading in Bangladesh, to reduce pollution and generate economic benefits from poultry waste. It also underlines the negative impact of poultry waste disposal on the environment. In Bangladesh, collection of poultry waste into bags and, subsequently, direct use as fertilizer in agricultural fields and aquaculture is common, while alternative disposal methods such as composting and biogas generation are now attracting commercial poultry producers. Direct use of poultry manure results in poor air and soil quality, environmental deterioration, detrimental effects on global health, climate change due to high levels of atmospheric ammonia, and the creation of significant amounts of greenhouse gases. Lack of knowledge and investment, as well as high demand for free land for composting, are important obstacles. Future research on precise waste characterization, improved understanding of poultry waste management, and increased efforts on developed waste disposal for a safe environment are therefore recommended. So, poultry waste, which is currently a burden for the environment, could be turned into a useful agricultural resource, which would be useful for the poultry industry.

Combination of biological processes for agro-industrial poultry waste management: Effects on vermicomposting and anaerobic digestion

This study evaluated the combination of bioprocesses to increase the utilization of agro-industrial poultry wastes. Composting piles were submitted to hydration and fraction separation (FS) and then, the solid fraction was vermicomposted and the liquid fraction was anaerobically digested. Composting followed by hydration and FS prior to vermicomposting enhanced earthworm adaptation and survival by reducing salt levels (50%), total organic carbon, and total nitrogen which may be limiting to vermicomposting at high concentrations. These strategies providing the production of up to 300 new cocoons and 360 young earthworms more than the control treatment. In addition to providing a favorable environment for earthworm growth, the combination of bioprocesses resulted in a high-quality organic fertilizer free of phytotoxic compounds and with phytostimulant properties (germination index higher than 100%). Energy recovery was greater in the treatment without the precomposting step (T0) (461.8 L CH4 kg−1. Volatile Solidsadded). The results show that combining the bioprocesses is a sustainable alternative for managing poultry wastes not only in terms of the recycling of nutrients but also by providing a clean source of energy.

Analysis of poultry waste management system among selected farmers of Bagmara upazila, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

This study was undertaken to evaluate the waste management practices among the poultry farmers of Bagmara Upazila, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. A total of 31 commercial poultry farm was considered for this study. A structured questionnaire was developed to obtain information on farmers' demographic characters, farm management, biosecurity, waste management practices. The majority of the farm owner used cage rearing (87.10%) systems for the layer. Broiler and turkey were reared in shelf (9.68%) and floor (3.23 %) systems, respectively. Most (96.77%) of the farm owners were male, and among them, 58.1 % had a secondary school certificate. Around 38.7% of farmers age was between 25 to 36 years. There was no foot bath in 97.77% of the farms. A majority (61.29%) of the farm owners threw dead birds near the farm, while only 32.26% buried the dead birds. There was no proper sewage disposal system in the majority of the (96.2%) farms. Farmers did not receive any training about farm management and biosecurity practices. A majority percentage of farmers were unaware of the risk of water (80.6%) and soil pollution (83.9%) from poultry waste. The educational level of farmers influenced (P

Eco-friendly and Modern Method of Poultry Waste Recycling

Throughout the world, along with the benefits that poultry farming brings to the economy of each individual country, there is a large-scale problem of such byproduct of its activity as feathers. In addition, 91% of them consist of a very valuable protein source with β-keratin. Keratin itself is very poorly decomposed and further disposed component. It makes up one of the components of feathers, the part of vertebrate skin.There is a growing preference for cost-effective and ecologically friendly poultry waste management ways. And it is the keratinase enzyme, obtained as a result of the bacteria activities, that shows great potential in this area. The selection, identification and improvement of the activities of such species of bacteria which could decompose the chicken feathers is the subject of ongoing research. About 89% provided chicken feathers were disposed (in other words, utilized) by bacteria in 2 days at temperature of 37° C. Full disposal took place after 53 hours. This study provides new results on the activities of microorganisms in the sphere of feather composting, and could also serve as an instruction for improving the work of the poultry industry in the management of keratin waste.

Poultry Waste Management Techniques, the Implication on Environment and Agricultural Productivity in Afijo Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria

This study assessed the poultry management techniques and its implications on environment and agricultural productivity in Afijio Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to identify the socio-economic differentials of poultry waste users on the management pattern of poultry waste in the study area, examining poultry waste management and utilization techniques and their determinants in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria, Analyzed the impact of poultry waste utilization on yield and revenue of the respondents in the study area. A random sampling technique was used in selection of respondents. A total number of 104 respondents were randomly selected for this study through the use of structured questionnaire. Description statistics, Gross Margin analysis and cobb-Douglas production function were used as analytical techniques. The socio-economic characteristics of the respondents revealed that an average poultry farmer in the enterprises were between 41-50 years which means most of the farmers were in their active age and majority of the poultry farmers were male (52.90%). Majority of the poultry farmers had formal education (96.2%) while few had non-formal education (3.8%) this implies that majority of the respondents were literate 62.50% claimed they remove waste between 2-3 days interval. The variable that have significant relationship with poultry waste impact of respondents include: waste removal day interval significant at 5% level but had a negative relationship with poultry waste impact which implies that as the period for waste removal extends, there was a negative impact on the environment and performance on the poultry birds thus resulting to low output, purpose of rearing birds, years of experience and ingredient that increase/ decrease waste smell are all significant at 1% level of significance respectively. The enterprise in the study area is not a bias one because ratio of male to female is 1:1. The following are recommended: farmers should be encourage to increase hygiene by doing frequent sanitation so as to reduce the chances of diseases infestation, the farmers should be advised to attend waste management and health programme to support year of experience.

Keratinolytic Enzyme from a Thermotolerant Isolate Bacillus sp. NDS-10: An Efficient Green Biocatalyst for Poultry Waste Management, Laundry and Hide-dehairing Applications

Background: The enzymatic degradation of keratin-rich wastes by a keratinolytic microorganism is a preferable and eco-friendly biotechnological alternative for the valorization of these compounds. Despite their recalcitrant behavior, hydrolysis of these wastes can be efficiently done by microbial proteolytic enzyme known as keratinase. Objective: In the present study, a potent keratinolytic bacterial strain with a great potential of feathers’ degradation was isolated and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as Bacillus sp. NDS-10. Results: After optimization, high-yield of extracellular keratinase (92 U mL−1) and bioconversion of feathers (97%) were achieved in M9 medium (pH 7.0) containing 0.8% (w/v) native chicken feathers after 20 h incubation at 45 °C. The crude keratinase exhibited maximal activity at pH 7.0–8.0 (Tris-Cl buffer) and 65 °C; and showed great stability over a range of pH (6.0–10.0) and temperature (20-60°C) for 6 h. No inhibitory influence was observed with various chemical modulators, commercial detergents and salt but phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) completely repressed the keratinolytic activity of enzyme. The enzyme effectively dehaired goat hide after 6 h without any damage and completely removed the blood-stain after 5 min incubation. Conclusion: These favorable features indicated that this keratinolytic enzyme seems to be an efficient and eco-friendly candidate for keratin-waste management, detergents formulations and hide-depilation application.