Biogas production from chicken droppings

Abstract

Biogas production from chicken droppings (total solids 86.5 %, moisture content 13.5%, volatile solids 64.3 %, pH, 6.7) was undertaken. Dried chicken droppings used were 2.8 kg which was added to anaerobic digester containing 3.7 liters of warm water and it was left to digest at 28 0C. Biogas production started after 7 days and reached an average amount of 72.2cm2/kg/day after three weeks. Two groups of bacteria were isolated from the digester. These were the acid formers (Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococus aureus and Escherichia coli) and the methane formers (Methanobacterium sp and Methanococcus sp). Fungi isolated include: Mucor mucedo, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium notatum. Temperature of 33.3 0C was optimum for the production of biogas (90cm3/kg/day). The resultant sludge was used to stimulate maize plant growth and the results indicated that maize plant grown on soil which had no sludge had an average height of 711 mm while those grown on the sludge had an average height of 1564 mm after fourteen days. The results of this study suggest that chicken droppings can be used for biogas production and as biofertilzer