The Decomposition of Uric Acid in Built Up Poultry Litter

The decomposition of uric acid in built up poultry litter appears to be brought about almost exclusively by the action of aerobic bacteria. Organisms decomposing uric acid usually comprised about one quarter of the bacterial population. They were strains of Corynebacterium and less frequently strains of Nocardia, Streptomyces, Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes and Achromobacter. Uric acid was converted to ammonia by some of the organisms but only to urea by the majority. Hydrolysis of urea to ammonia could be brought about by strains of Corynebacterium, Micrococcus, Alcaligenes, Achromobacter and Cytophaga which had no action on uric acid. It is suggested that the ammoniacal smell and high alkalinity of built up poultry litter result largely from the decomposition of uric acid. The identity of the bacteria concerned is discussed.