In this study, 121 poultry manure samples were collected from commercial holdings in England and Wales. The nutrient contents of the individual manure samples varied widely. In general, broiler/turkey litters had a higher dry matter content (c.60%) than layer manures (c.35%), although all manure types had similar concentrations of nutrients (N, P, K, Mg, S) on a dry weight basis. Typically N:P:K ratios were 6:2:2 for layer manures and 6:2:3 for broiler/turkey litters. The readily plant available N content (ammonium-N+uric acid-N) of the poultry manures was 30-50% of the total N. The dry matter content of poultry manures is suggested as a useful indicator of total fresh weight nutrient concentrations. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.