Added somewhat fresh chicken manure to garden

[Dustinshaw]

Hello,
I have a shelf underneath my chicken perch and I scrape the fresh manure directly into a pan and I pile it in a pile behind the coop. I had a pretty large pile going back there and we were starting a garden, so I removed the top of the manure and dug down into the bottom where it had been sitting for about 2 months. Most of the chicken manure was still pretty wet because it has been rained on quite a bit. I proceeded to take about 10 to 15 lb of manure and put it in a 12 foot by 12 foot garden and turned the soil. I was told by a good friend that it would be just fine, but now I'm reading that it might not be safe. I don't really know what else to do now that I have raked it all into the soil and I'm just going to go ahead and plant. What is the worst that could happen? Has anyone else done this?

 

[WhiteWaterLady]

Very high nitrogen, a couple of possible problems
1) burn roots and seriously weaken or kill plants
2) lots of leaf growth but reduced fruiting

Suggestions - try to get some wood chips/mulch and work into the soil. That will help counter the high nitrogen, increase the water holding capacity of the soil, and break down over time to create lots more humus - a gardener's best friend.
Also, water a lot for a couple of weeks before planting. That will dilute the ammonia (nitrogen) also and if you've worked in some chips/mulch, it will really help prep things for planting.

On the plus side, adding all of that manure will probably warm the soil faster.

 

[Ridgerunner]

10 to 15 pounds in that area is not a lot. A typical bag of compost sold at a big box store is 40 pounds, 3 to 4 times as much volume as you used if your 10 to 15 estimate is close. Spread that over a 12 x 12 area and it really isn't much.

If it has been there 2 months it's probably broken down a lot anyway, more like compost than fresh manure. I didn't see it so can't be sure but most likely as long as it has not been frozen solid. How did it look and smell?

I don't know how well you mixed it or how deep it is after turning it under. It should either not be very concentrated or buried kind of deep below the first roots. By the time roots get to it then it should be broken down.

Personally I would not worry about it at all. I would not add anything special to counter it, I really don't see a need.

 

[Dustinshaw]

Thanks for the replies! Some that I dug out has probably been there for about 4 or 5 months, some probably 2 months. It was at the bottom of the pile. It was probably frozen over the winter at some point, then thawed again. It was not dry, but not wet when I spread it around. About the same as when I scooped it out of the coop. It seems like the pile held the moisture in. I was talking with my wife and we think maybe it was about 20 pounds. It's hard to gauge. After I spread it out, it covered almost the entire ground to where you could easily stand back and tell it was laying all around. We raked it in about 4" deep max. Most is probably 1 or 2" deep. We are waiting until the end of this month or maybe early May to plant, so I'm praying a month will give it time to sit in the rain and maybe dilute a bit as WhiteWaterLady suggested. I just don't want to burn up all of our plants and/or get ourselves sick. We have worked really hard on the garden so far and seeds aren't cheap! I don't know if it helps/hurts, but we have a breathable cloth over the top of the garden now and water will go through, but it helps hold moisture in. I've fastened it down and put lots of bricks on it to help hold it also.

Thanks again! We thought we had gotten great advice, but then searching around after we were done, it seemed like maybe not the best advice... or we just didn't understand the "aging" process but I don't remember that part in the conversation. ha

 

[Acre4Me]

Given the 144 sqft space, the relatively small amount of possibly hot chicken manure shouldn’t cause a problem with plant growth. Make sure it is well mixed.

it is important to remember that the other reason to not use fresh/hot manure is for health reasons. Fresh manure can make you ill, can splash up onto fresh fruit/veg due to rain causing illness. Aged/composted manure should not contain pathogens anymore. A compost tumbler that is black and can get to a high heat for longer (depending on location), can make safe compost potentially quicker.

The other manure aging element has to do with what was fed to the animal. For example a cow and horse get grains/grasses. Those grains/grasses were grown possibly with herbicides that some believe stick around in the manure and negatively impacts the plants you are trying to grow in your garden. So, for that reason I’ve seen some recommend a whopping 5 year aging time!! Most of us don't have the ability to age manure for 5 years, so I’m hedging my bets and composting in a pile for a year and hope I get nice compost at the end of that!

good luck!!

 

[Mtnboomer]

Thanks for the replies! Some that I dug out has probably been there for about 4 or 5 months, some probably 2 months. It was at the bottom of the pile. It was probably frozen over the winter at some point, then thawed again. It was not dry, but not wet when I spread it around. About the same as when I scooped it out of the coop. It seems like the pile held the moisture in. I was talking with my wife and we think maybe it was about 20 pounds. It's hard to gauge. After I spread it out, it covered almost the entire ground to where you could easily stand back and tell it was laying all around. We raked it in about 4" deep max. Most is probably 1 or 2" deep. We are waiting until the end of this month or maybe early May to plant, so I'm praying a month will give it time to sit in the rain and maybe dilute a bit as WhiteWaterLady suggested. I just don't want to burn up all of our plants and/or get ourselves sick. We have worked really hard on the garden so far and seeds aren't cheap! I don't know if it helps/hurts, but we have a breathable cloth over the top of the garden now and water will go through, but it helps hold moisture in. I've fastened it down and put lots of bricks on it to help hold it also.

Thanks again! We thought we had gotten great advice, but then searching around after we were done, it seemed like maybe not the best advice... or we just didn't understand the "aging" process but I don't remember that part in the conversation. ha

I only put fresh coop litter directly into the garden in October after harvest is complete. It will over winter about 5-6mos prior to the next planting. Before planting the garden is tilled under every march. This allows some of the nitrogen to dissipate and nasties to die off.

That being said, I doubt you put enough on to be concerned about plant development or your health. My garden is 110'x 55' and I add about 100lbs of composted chicken manure and 50lbs of 10-10-10 every year tilled 6" deep (if possible.) We have nasty heavy clay soils that need to be heavily worked every year, but each season is getting better and better.
If concerned, just wash everything in cold running water well before eating.