[jb]

Hi, A few weeks ago I bought some chicken manure from a brand that only uses free-range  poo. Previously we have used another brand, which consisted of discrete dryish pellets, that did very well for us but has become hard to find. At the start of last week I opened up the new tub and found a thick layer of fungus across the top and underneath a semi-congealed mass of moist lumps. Concerned that there was something wrong, particularly as the instructions mention applying by the 'handful' I e-mailed the manufacturor but have had no reply. As I am quite keen to start adding it to my tubs and some of my raised beds, can anyone  advise if this material is safe to apply(and in effect normal for tubbed chicken manure) or should I avoid using it.
Cheers
Jon

[JayG]

Dried pelleted chicken manure is supposed to be just that (dry!)

If yours was a new container I would definitely be returning it to wherever bought if possible.

Don't quite understand your problems sourcing the stuff; there seems to be plenty of it about (at least in this area)

[strangerachael]

I bought 7.5kg of organic chicken manure pellets in Wilkos last week for about £5.97 if I remember rightly. I thought it was a bargain anyway.

[jb]

Hi,
Problem sourcing is that I like to be sure that the manure is from free-range and not battery chickens. Most brands don't claim that they do and interestinly those that do tend to be slihtly more expensive. Remember the organic label that is on many of these tubs does not necessarily mean the manure was from 'organic' certified chickens just that it is derived from living matter rather than bein synthesized chemically.
Unfortunatly I didn't keep the receipt as I assumed not a lot could go wrong with a tub of dried chicken poo 

[thearaig]

You sure about this free range chicken poo? I can't think how I would seperate the poo from the bedding with our chooks and I certainly wouldnt bother following them around to collect it as it dropped. As for getting mouldy, sounds like it got damp and started composting. Should still be safe to use.

[JayG]

"Rooster" brand make a big play of being made from "non-battery chicken" poo; don't know whether that goes quite far enough for you. 

[BostonInbred]

Ok, you need to understand the basic con that 'organic' embodies.

To sell something as 'organic', I  have to do nothing to the product that breaks the rules, such as adding some sort of artificial ingredient. As long as I do he business , i can sell my product as organic, because id did nothing wrong.

However, its possible that some of the ingredients i use qualify as organic, have been derived of by non - organic methods. Raw chicken poo is one. As long as the chickens havent been given too many antibiotics, and been fed a healthy diet, the actual diet may well have been entirely or mainly an artificial food, derived from non organic materials.

That does not stop ME selling my product that uses the chicken poo as organic, because I do nothing to it that breaks the rules, the rules have already been broken by the supplier, but then he doesnt sell HIS product as strictly 'organic'. His end  prodcut may be an organic material derived by artificial means.

So organic as a concept isnt what it seems. Some stuff sold as organic aint so, if you trace back far enough.

[viettaclark]

It always made me cringe seeing lamb sold as organic that had been grazing all year next to the M25......
IMHO it's best to be sensible and avoid real nasties IF POSSIBLE. Although I like the dream of organic, our land, water and air contain so much rubbish and animals must be innoculated etc.(score for the veggies) so no-one can EVER be organic.
So a bit of Growmore seems ok to me, even though I rarely use it.

[viettaclark]

p.s. My chicken pellets were left in an open bag outside for 2 years and were a sludgy, mouldy mess. I used them for potted stuff last year....no probs.

[jb]

"Rooster" brand make a big play of being made from "non-battery chicken" poo; don't know whether that goes quite far enough for you. 

Thanks for the suggestion , Rooster were what we used to use and they did a very fine job-we had one tub for the garden that lasted years.  It complies with our main buying criteria in that it is not battery. Problem is that nobody around us appears to stock them anymore and I can't find anyone selling online (+assume postage is more than the product  ).

p.s. My chicken pellets were left in an open bag outside for 2 years and were a sludgy, mouldy mess. I used them for potted stuff last year....no probs.

Sounds like they might be OK then as to honest what we have looks like it is either not fully composted down and/or damp. Just to be on the safe side I might dig into beds and pots and leave rather than add to already growing plants.