The nutrients found in chicken litter are also found in many other sources.

For example, the 1.2 million cattle that graze in Eastern Oklahoma deposit a considerable amount of nutrients on the land and in our streams, in the form of manure. Other sources include commercial chemical fertilizers used for lawns and agriculture, plant nurseries, rural septic tanks and municipal waste-treatment facilities.

Of all the users of nutrients in these watersheds, only one is regulated and monitored—the poultry industry. But shouldn’t everyone who manages, uses or releases nutrients be part of the solution regarding excess nutrients in the environment?

We think so. In the meantime, the members of the poultry industry in Eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas are doing their part to balance the needs of all who live and work in our region.

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