[morbidia]

I have four hens that produce a fair amount of poop, I was thinking it would be good to use on the plot, sort of kill two birds with one stone by fertilising the soil and disposing of the stuff but I have questions

What is the best way to use it, can I just dig it straight into the soil or do I have to let it rot down like manure?

I was going to dig a trench and put the poop in the bottom then backfill and so on until I have dug over a bed big enough to grow something in, is this ok or should I just scatter it on and dig it in?

Some of it might have wood shavings mixed in with it, does this matter or not ?

Thanks in advance for any info

[morbidia]

Arrgghhhh posted twice by mistake

Hi I have four hens who produce quite a lot of poop, I was thinking it would be good to use iton the plot, but I have questions

I was going to dig a trench and put the poop in the bottom then backfill until I have an area big enough to plant something, is this ok or should I just scatter it on and dig it in ?

Can I use it fresh or do I have to wait for it to rot down like manure ?

Some of it might have wood shavings mixed in with it ,does this matter ?

Thanks in advance for any advice

[heygrow]

The general wisdom seems to be that it needs to be rotted down a fair bit before putting using, as raw chicken poo can be too strong. Also I guess it depends on the crops you want to use it with as some do not like too much manure.

I mix mine up with the general compost and let it compost down. However I used a lot of chicken poo/general compost mix, which was not that composted as a mulch on my runner beans last year and they really produced well all season.

[morbidia]

Hi thanks for the reply, I was thinking that it would be ok to dig it in now because we can't plant anything yet having just taken over the plot, we are still weed clearing and getting rid of rubbish, apart from one area where we can actually dig the soil, There is a compost bin on the plot but I'm not sure if its any good, I could mix it in with that once I have sussed it out and moved it

[Goosegirl]

Personally, I would not use it for fertilising this year, as it will be too strong fresh and can burn plants. The wood shavings will also deplete the soil of nitrogen as it rots down - yes, I know that chicken poo is rich in nitrogen too, so it may be a balance. Mix it in with your other compost as it will be a good accelerator - keep the compost heap damp and it should be good for use next year. Meanwhile, get another heap going later in the year.

[angelavdavis]

I'm with Goosegirl on this one - I keep chickens and mix their poop with kitchen waste and other compostables.  The high nitrogen actually helps speed up the overall breakdown of the heap.  You can then spread it as normal when it has rotted for a few months and is no longer recognisable.

[morbidia]

Ok I will mix it in with the stuff that is composting in the bin on the plot and learn to be patient

[compostqueen]

The shavings in it can take an age to rot down so the compo bin is a good place for it   

Because I used to end up with so much poo and bedding I kept it separate from the home and garden compost and piled it into builders rubble sacks and then planted in it when it had aged a bit.  It grows onions and garlic beautifully.  I've grown brocs and cabbages in it too

At the moment I have a huge compost bin of the stuff and I'd piled their broken up straw bales with poo in it onto the top.   I watered it, covered it with blue tarp, and it slumped very quickly.  It will be ready for use soon but it's been sitting there for well over a year

My last hen died last year but there poo lives on 

[morbidia]

  what a legacy
I think I might have to invest in a second bin then, thanks for the advice 

[leeks r us]

food for thought chicken poo can carry a few nasties with it salmonella and the likes thats why the commercial stuff is heat treated i think offhand it should be rotted down for twice as long as horse manure because of its strength ,so be carefull with it?

[lucywil]

On country file last Adam toured a poultry farm and he said when one lot of birds are ready and shipped off the hen house is cleaned out and all the sawdust and chicken poop is taken to his farm to be spread on the fields, which I thought was quite interesting.

Like others we mix it into the compost heap but I am considering spreading some on when I have some empty ground over winter, then digging it in

[Stree]

Right:
20 chickens, goose and gander, rabbit, and 3 x guinea pigs.
Plus straw and hay bedding, small amount of softwood shaving too. Plus all grass clippings and a small amount of kitchen and garden waste and spent compost from pots tubs baskets and trays..
Multiply by 5 years and you have a pile ( or at least I do ) 10 foot long by 3wide and 4 foot high..... and no, it does not whiff at all.
If I want a liquid plant tonic then a carrier bag ( pierced) of  raw poop suspended in a black bin of water left for a month or so makes a very strong mix......Dilute it i litre to 15 litres water to use on soil. NOT on leaves and not on edible crop before harvesting.
The pile itself is for autumn digging in, mulching and this year for courgettes. Going to try a zinc bathtub full of this compost with courgettes.

[Thrift]

On country file last Adam toured a poultry farm and he said when one lot of birds are ready and shipped off the hen house is cleaned out and all the sawdust and chicken poop is taken to his farm to be spread on the fields, which I thought was quite interesting.

Like others we mix it into the compost heap but I am considering spreading some on when I have some empty ground over winter, then digging it in

I was just about to quote that lucy! I was surprised as I didn't think it could go straight onto the land ..... now I shall definitely try an area.

[Charityuk]

My husband absolutely insisted on chucking some into our raised beds when he built them recently, even though some of it was still fairly fresh and I quoted advice from here at him about it being too strong etc etc.  The potatoes have come up, so it's so far so good, but we shall see. 

[angelavdavis]

Like others we mix it into the compost heap but I am considering spreading some on when I have some empty ground over winter, then digging it in

I have done this.  The chicken run is bark chips and I clear these out, poop and all and put it on the veg beds at home over winter.  I then turn it over and plant in springtime.  Never had an issue.