One of the effective ways of environmental management in poultry waste that allows the increase of energysaving and reduction of negative environmental impact is methane fermentation. Methane fermentation process is possible in three temperature modes: psychrophilic, mesophilic and thermophilic. Methane fermentation of chicken manure in thermophilic mode is less studied in comparison with mesophilic mode. The article presents the results of the study of methane fermentation of these wastes. The process was carried out in thermophilic conditions at 50 °C. Substrate moisture values varied from 72% to 99%. Biogas production ranged from 10,6 ml / g VS to 382,3 ml / g VS, methane production – from 1,8 ml / g VS to 207,9 ml / g VS. The maximum yield of biogas and methane per unit of mass was reached with the substrate moisture content of 92%. Production of methane from chicken manure in the thermophilic mode with low moisture level of the substrate was also possible despite the high content of ammonia nitrogen and free ammonia. However, with a decrease of the substrate moisture content lower than 80% efficiency of methane fermentation was at the same level and very low.

The aim of our study was to investigate methanogenesis of chicken manure in the thermophilic mode with the low moisture content of the substrate. The study included periodic methane digestion of chicken manure with moisture content from 82 to 94% at 50 °C. A decrease of substrate moisture content resulted in a decrease of the process efficiency. Biogas yield ranged from 121 to 382 ml / g VS, and the proportion of methane in the produced gas varied from 39.6% to 57%. Methane production started from the first day of the experiment. From the very beginning of the experiment increase in its concentration in biogas content was faster at a higher moisture level of the substrate. Concentration of methane in biogas was not constant and ranged from 50% to 80% for all values of moisture content of the substrate. The maximum rate of methanogenesis increased with an increase of moisture content of the substrate from 2.8 ml / (g VS · day) to 24.7 ml / (g VS · day). The obtained data prove that production of methane from chicken manure in the thermophilic mode is possible even at low moisture content of the substrate, despite the high content of ammonia nitrogen and ammonia.