Giving away chicken manure -- who knew some can make it so complicated

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

I posted an ad to give away manure. (I know, I should hoard it for my garden, but I've got plenty.)

I received numerous replies, but one takes the cake. They want to know if I feed my chickens herbicides or pesticides because that could be bad for their vegetables. (They cited herbicides fed to horses that were to kill grass but not the horse.) They wanted the list of ingredients in the chicken feed and a list of what else I feed the chickens. Simply telling them I didn't feed the chickens herbicides and pesticides wasn't enough.

One, anyone who says herbicides and pesticides are harmless looses credibility with me.

Two, I thought this was *chicken* manure I was advertising, not *horse* manure.

Three, do any of you all feed your chickens herbicides or pesticides?

(I recommended they buy bagged manure at the hardware store labeled "organic" so they felt more assured about the safety of the manure.)

 

[chickened]

Don't horses kill grass? And no I do not feed them herbicides or pesticides but I do feed them herbs and pests.

I would tell them it is all gone, sold or something like that.

 

[c is 4 cochin]

I think those people have their information seriously mixed up. Who in their right mind would feed herbicide / pesticide laden food to animals? Makes you wonder where they got that information.

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

She's under the impression that some chicken feed will kill her veggies. Chicken food! Chicken food, processed by the chicken, aged, and added to her soil -- it might kill her veggies.

She was trying to "ensure" that I feed my chickens "organic" food. *Makes me want to parade around the definitions of "organic"*

Sure, some feed is better than others, but unless it came from China, I wouldn't hesitate to pour a "straight" bag of chicken feed directly to my soil. Same for dog food and cat food and beer and tobacco and urine and dish soap . . . I'd go lightly with the vinegar though -- especially the "organic" vinegar.

Okay. . . whatevuh . . .

 

[Nicola]

not the best idea to pour straight chicken feed onto a garden bed though, from personal experience it goes really smelly and makes you dry heave

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Not to worry, once it turns moldy, I'll turn the earth!

 

[KristyHall]

There have been cases where people spray specialized herbicides on hay fields that will kill anything but the specific plants the hay is made from. the horses ingest it, and the residue chemicals remain in their manure that then damages a person's garden when used. That is why the person is worried.

Remember we eat herbicide and pesticide laden food every day from the supermarkets, our water sources, resteraunts, and so on. Just because it doesn't kill us right away doesn't mean it doesn't do us harm. Most people just don't see the immediate connection and see nothing wrong with spraying their fields with roundup and all that other nasty stuff.

 

[Randy]

I put pesticides in my chickens water as well as apply it to thier skin.

 

[sonjab314]

I'm treating for cocci right now. Does that qualify as a pesticide?

 

[BarefootMom]

also people that spray their yards and let their chickens free range--

yes the spray that kills thistles will kill your garden.

We got some dirt/manure from haypiles last year BEFORE my dad sprayed (He had sprayed the year before though) and it still killed my tomatoes

so yeah that stuff is lethal! no wonder it is so expensive!

Some people that are certified organic and sell certified organic products have to be really picky about their gardens. They can be randomly tested (the soil, the veggies/fruits etc) kinda like a random drug test at work!

So yeah I can see that they would want to know. But unless you put organic manure in the ad, I don't see why they are bothering.