Manipulating chicken waste for improved vermicomposting substrate

Vermicomposting is a sustainable waste management and effective technique for using agricultural residue. Nowadays, poultry industries have overgrown around the world. The problem that arises from poultry industries due to the inappropriate disposal of chicken wastes is environmental pollution and groundwater contamination, which creates odours, promotes fly and rodent breeding, and releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Proper chicken waste management was essential to reduce the effect and contamination on the environment and humans. Therefore, this study uses chicken waste to enhance its suitability as a vermicomposting substrate. Different approaches to manipulating chicken waste, including varying ratios of chicken dung and chicken feathers as a medium in vermicomposting, were investigated to determine their effects on the vermicomposting process and the quality of the resulting compost. The results showed T4 exhibited the highest biodegradability coefficient (51.59%), reflecting the most effective decomposition of organic matter. The pH values, ranging from 5.92 to 6.83, provided optimal conditions for earthworm activity, while the decrease in electrical conductivity (EC) indicated the production of non-toxic, low-salinity vermicompost. In contrast, T1, which used the highest proportion of chicken dung without chicken feathers, resulted in the greatest earthworm weight gain and cocoon production. By manipulating the composition of organic materials, particularly reducing the proportion of chicken feathers, the vermicomposting process can be made more effective, leading to better decomposition rates, improved earthworm growth, and the production of nutrient-rich compost suitable for agricultural use