Fully composted, pelletized poultry manure avoids many of the inherent but misunderstood problems associated with the use of raw manures. The main issue is that raw manures flood the soil with excessive amounts of nitrate-Nitrogen. This one issue is the root cause of many production problems such as, high pest and disease pressure, unpalatable pastures, bitterness or lack of traditional flavour in food crops. Excessive nitrates often produce inferior flavour and low nutritional content in plants because additional water, required to dilute the high salt index of nitrates, dilutes cell contents. Nitrates are negatively-charged and won’t attach to the soil colloids, hence leaching losses are high under irrigation or heavy rainfall. Composting converts unwanted nitrates into more complex nitrogen forms such an amino acids and microbial proteins. These complex N-forms are stable and plant available and because they are easier to metabolise, the plant has more energy for growth. We screen our chicken manure compost, over a 5mm screen prior to pelletising to remove the sawdust, as opposed to hammermilling or crushing the sawdust and keeping it within the compost base as done in some other manufacturers processes. This gives us a more concentrated nutrient rich pellet. In doing so it separates the humified compost from wood waste and reduces the risk of Nitrogen Drawdown in soil. In practical terms Nitrogen Drawdown occurs when microbe organisms are presented with raw carbon, but insufficient nitrogen to utilise it, this consequently depletes soil nitrogen reserves to break down the carbon, causing starvation in the plant. We compost fully undercover to avoid leaching or loss of Humic Acid. Humic Acid is the most plant available fertiliser and is a respected and honoured component of our pellets. Raw Manure contains the wrong form of Nitrogen. Composting converts most Nitrate Nitrogens into microbial protein and mineralised ammonium which is the most beneficial form of nitrogen for plants as it is readily available for the plant to use, converting the energy into plant growth.