How These Brothers Turn Chicken Manure Into Gold!

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Turning low density chook manure into a consistent, pelletised biological fertiliser—and swapping it in for DAP at sowing. In the Riverina near Griffith, NSW, Alistair & Hugh McDonald show us their open-air compost “factory,” purpose-built pellet plant, and the on-farm results with irrigated winter crop.

Why watch:
• Slash fertiliser costs and freight with high-density pellets
• Get consistent flowability through drills/air seeders
• Feed soil biology for better nutrient efficiency
• Hear a farmer’s real-world trial replacing DAP at the same rate

Featuring:
• Alistair & Hugh McDonald — Riverina Sustainable Fertilizers (pelletised poultry-compost)
• Farmer trial: Duncan (irrigated winter crop, swapped DAP for pellets)
• Location: Near Griffith, NSW (Riverina)

What we cover: moisture management, compost temps (50–60°C), C:N ~30:1, inoculants (humics + microbes + trace minerals), hammer-milling, PLC safety, pelleting, cooling & screening, planter-friendly granules.

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#soilhealth #regenerativeagriculture #australianfarming #fertiliser #composting

Riverina Sustainable Fertilisers https://www.rsf.solutions/

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00:00 Why pelletised chook manure? (cost & consistency)
00:41 The McDonald brothers’ big bet & new plant
01:49 Freight win: low test weight → high-density pellets
02:58 Moisture control & managing litter variability
03:34 Biology boost: humics, microbes & trace minerals
04:46 Compost science: C:N ≈ 30:1, feeding microbes
05:34 Temperature window: 50–60 °C & turning strategy
06:35 “Blue-sky factory”: inoculants & the compost turner
07:28 Purpose-built plant: PLC safety & flow control
08:35 Grinding & magnets: prepping an organic feedstock
09:58 Pelleting: pressure, cut length & process IP
11:36 Cooling & screening: flowable, planter-safe granules
12:32 Why pellets = consistency + living biology
13:14 Farmer trial: swapping DAP for pellets (same rate)
14:18 Seeder setup & handling (Gason air seeder)
15:06 Results, costs & the case for biology
16:00 Wrap-up, links & how to learn more