harvesting ...... poop (for compost)

[off-grid hen]

I have a droppings board under my roost. I sprinkle a very light layer of pine shavings down every morning after I sweep it into a 5-gallon pail. The shavings and poop mixed together make a nice carbon -nitrogen mix. I got the idea from someone here at BYC.

 

[wyododge]

Quote:
Yes you can. We clean out our coop in the spring directly into the garden and till it in. then when corn, potatoes, maters and such are about 12" high, we dress the rows usually about June. Gives the plants a good kick and the shavings keep most of the poo off the ground so it can water in and mellow a bit. Works fantastic!!!

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Quote:
Yes you can. We clean out our coop in the spring directly into the garden and till it in. then when corn, potatoes, maters and such are about 12" high, we dress the rows usually about June. Gives the plants a good kick and the shavings keep most of the poo off the ground so it can water in and mellow a bit. Works fantastic!!!

Wow, that's great! I can't wait to get started.

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

I can see how that would be a problem. The rake would break up the poop and make it so you couldn't collect it. We have a stationary coop. I have sand on the floor covered over with rice hulls. The rice hulls are a great addition to the compost - they break down much faster than wood shavings. I use either a kitty litter scoop or a garden sifter. I've collected so much poop with eight birds this summer/fall that I need to start a second compost pile!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Yes you can. We clean out our coop in the spring directly into the garden and till it in. then when corn, potatoes, maters and such are about 12" high, we dress the rows usually about June. Gives the plants a good kick and the shavings keep most of the poo off the ground so it can water in and mellow a bit. Works fantastic!!!

Many folks do what you describe, but every State Ag or Ag Extension bulletin I've ever read says no. As professional organic gardeners, we follow the 60 days to plant and 90 days to harvest black out rule. This bulletin is as good as any. http://umaine.edu/publications/2510e/

There's a dozen or more of these readable in the first couple pages of a google. They are all pretty much in agreement.

 

[cajun Rabbit]

Mmmmm I was thinking all day how I could put a cardboard or paper floor under the coop....I am thinking now that I may put a box of sorts under there and pull it out once a month or so... maybe with shredded news papers to help with clean up?

as for calling it "harvesting" .... yea it is a habit

Anything that is collected or processed for a purpose I call 'harvesting' I have done it for years. There are animals that I have killed and have no use for there are others that I have harvested, same for plants and now poop

I may scoop dog poop because I have no use for it, but I will harvest rabbit and chicken poop because there is a use for it.

 

[redriver]

Fred's Hens :

Many folks do what you describe, but every State Ag or Ag Extension bulletin I've ever read says no. As professional organic gardeners, we follow the 60 days to plant and 90 days to harvest black out rule. This bulletin is as good as any. http://umaine.edu/publications/2510e/

There's a dozen or more of these readable in the first couple pages of a google. They are all pretty much in agreement.

Thank goodness someone said something about the time frame. I knew there was one, but couldn't track a good publication down last night. Note that if you are putting the manure where root vegetables are to be planted, the days goes up to 120 days. I think certified organic farmers (in California) who use composted manure are required to age it 120 days, regardless of the crop, but that might just be the CCOF.

RedRiver​

 

[wyododge]

Fred's Hens :

Quote:
Many folks do what you describe, but every State Ag or Ag Extension bulletin I've ever read says no. As professional organic gardeners, we follow the 60 days to plant and 90 days to harvest black out rule. This bulletin is as good as any. http://umaine.edu/publications/2510e/

There's a dozen or more of these readable in the first couple pages of a google. They are all pretty much in agreement.

Probably very good advise.​

 

[Fred's Hens]

For most folks in the mid-west, gardens are not planted in any earnest until May. That means that manure can safely be applied raw through February. Most gardens have large areas that are done by mid-September. So, raw manure applications can be applied to gardens roughly from mid-September until February with absolute reckless abandon.

For the remaining portion of the year, raw manure can simply be piled up and allowed to rot down and spread later. Easy.

 

[itsmechrissy]

Fred's Hens :

For most folks in the mid-west, gardens are not planted in any earnest until May. That means that manure can safely be applied raw through February. Most gardens have large areas that are done by mid-September. So, raw manure applications can be applied to gardens roughly from mid-September until February with absolute reckless abandon.

This assumes we don't get a huge snow storm in December preventing us from getting anywhere near the garden area in Jan/Feb....but great to know, thanks much ​