How do you compost your chicken manure?

[chickkrzi]

I have about 20 chickens ( 12 hens in main coop an 2 roosters in 2nd coop then 6 chicks in my breeding pin). And I haven't been doing anything crazy with composting my manure over the last few years. I just lay a thin layer of hay under the roost, add more hay as needed though out the next few weeks to help keep the smell down. And them after 2-3 weeks I'll just toss a new batch into my compost pile, turn it with my garden tiller, add some water if need be. Then just let it set until I add more. I'll repeat this process until about January or February then I start a new pile. Then around end of April first of May I'll add the old pile to my garden. I don't (and I know I should) add anything else except maybe a few oak leaves that's laying around my compost pile. I have noticed that if I put some on my rose bushes. I will notice a some burning on new growth, but on my watermelon or cantaloupes, they'll just get long runners with some ok fruit.

So my questions are.....
Do you add anything special to your compost pile?
How long do you let the pile decompose before adding to your garden.
Do make tea with yours, and if so how do you mix it and how offten to you apply it?

 

[Mrs. K]

Compost is much easier, (I think) if you live in humid areas, we are dry up here in SD, and I do not have a lot of success with compost.

I do a set up like you, old hay. I put it under the roosts, and when it gets too dirty, I flip that out into the run.....my chickens really break up the old hay at that point, scratchhing..... this time of year, I take it up and rototill it into my garden, I mix it well with the soil already there. It will be several weeks before I plant.

The stuff I get latter, I soak in water, soak cardboard in water, water the garden well, then lay down the cardboard, and cover with the wet chicken treated hay. This keeps my cardboard in place, keeps the ground moister during the hot days of summer, and dramatically reduces my weeds.

The water I used to soak stuff I use as a tea on perenials. I have not had any plant burnings, but it is not highly concentrated in one area, and I do not have real rich soil.

Mrs K

 

[chickkrzi]

Well we had a somewhat dry fall an winter this year, but our humidity has been somewhat higher. Was just wondering how to you make your tea? His much water per so much maneuver? How do you let it set?

 

[Mrs. K]

I use A lot of water - like a wheel barrow full, but I fill it with the dirty hay/manure let is soak several hours. We have very sandy soil, so just pour it out over my non-edible plants.

When you are using manure, you need a lot of other material mixed with it to dilute it. Mix it with soil, mix it with water, mix it with old plant material, as it ages, it should get less hot, but as you are aging it, when you turn it, you need to water it. Proper compost should be like a rung out rag - moisture wise. If you live in a dry area, it can be difficult to keep it moist enough to heat up and decompose. If it dries out, it just sits there, nearly unchanging.

I don't think yours is wet enough.

Mrs k

 

[chickkrzi]

I have very sandy soil as well. I think your right I don't water my compost as much as I should. So you fill wheel barrel with compost then water, strain off solids then poor around plants. You don't use it on vegetables like green beans, squash, tomatoes?

 

[Mrs. K]

I use the liquid on my perenials, I use the wet dirty hay to hold down my cardboard. Also have been known to work in the manure where I am going to later plant my onions - they like a little hotter fertilizer, but the big thing is not too concentrated - spread it out, work it in.