fertilizing my garden, plants and grass

[shescraftee]

I am the proud owner of 5 beautiful hens (one Rhode Island Red, 2 Buff Orpington, 1 Barred Rock & 1 Silver laced Wyandotte) i have them in my urban lot and let them free range daily on grass - i also pull off Kale & spinach leaves from my raised garden beds for them to eat. My question is.... i would like to put some Organic Fertilizer on the plants, could this be harmful to the chickens (say if i use the pellets??) Should i keep them away completely of these fertilized areas, does it pose a health risk? THANKS SO MUCH IN ADVANCE FOR THE ADVISE!
Sincerely,
Happy Backyard Chicken Lady

 

[HEChicken]

I am no fertilizer expert but tend to lean towards simple versus complicated. Since chicken poop is a great natural fertilizer, and my girls free-range, I don't add any other chemicals - organic or otherwise - to my yard. I will say that the backyard, where they free-range, is much greener than the front yard where they don't, even though I haven't watered either in this brutal summer we've had, so I can see the difference the poop makes.

 

[jomoncon]

Quote:
I have just the opposite. My front yard is greener than where they do free range in the back. But that might be because where they free range has NO grass at all!!

 

[Mogli]

i put my chicken poop on my garden and ive harevested lots of veggies after using there pooo on the garden

 

[duckinnut]

"Chicken poop, its whats for fertilizer". This is the first year with help from the chickens in my garden. Holy cucumber Batman!!! It may have been too hot when I rolled it in, but man its paying dividends now. More zucchini and cucumbers than we can eat,the extra goes to a food pantry. In the next few weeks my 20 6ft. tomato plants are going to bombard me with hundreds of them. Butternuts are invading my yard,peppers and eggplants are coming right along.The spices are happy. I WILL never buy fertilizer,organic or commercial,ever again. I've got all the organic fert. I need. This is the best garden Ive had since I have had one, with help from my feathered friends,the guy upstairs and my love for self-sustainance.

I would be leery of store bought organic,that word alone leaves so much open for interpertation. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Ditto.....My setup has the chickens gleaning the garden late fall and winter when I'm done with it and I clean out the deep litter compost pit Coop in the spring to apply as needed. My garden area started out 30 years ago as hard weedy clay, it's now more then a foot deep of rich loam. Chickens............what can't they do?

 

[ChickenAl]

Just about any organic fertilizer should be safe. Read the label first, of course. We use liquid emulsified fish which gets diluted and watered in. Smells awful for the first few minutes, though.

You should use the chicken poop after cooking it in the compost pile for up to a year. Great stuff and you have an unlimited supply.

 

[shescraftee]

THANK YOU to all that have given your input here - with great anticipation I am eagerly waiting to use the chicken poop manure but it's just not ready yet

my hens are 5 months (still not laying) and I'v only had them for about a month. With the deep litter method i anticipate i will clean out the golden goods twice a year.
I was reading that chicken poop manure should compost for at least 6 months. I am also using an urban compost tumbler - but haven't mastered that quite yet either.
My raised garden beds are fenced off so the chickens can't help themselves to every delicious plant i have growing so Im hoping a little organic fertilizer in there wont harm them.
I'v warded off the husband from making any further moves here but will probably let him help out the garden before it's to late in the year. well, i thank you all again for your advice