how long does thier poop take to compost?

[jggrossm]

I really couldn't decide which section to post this in.

I put the chicken poop in my compost pile and I'm wondering if anyone knows how long it needs to compost before it's safe (as in it won't burn) to put in the garden?

Thanks in advance.

Joanna

 

[EweSheep]

6 mos to one year.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

In my experience, NEVER, if there's lots of accompanying wood shavings. It's been two years cooking now and still looks like wood shavings. Dang.

 

[novice sue]

I am not a composter as the turning is beyond me physically- however i started a worm farm with 2 cups of worms, wet shredded newspaper-soy ink no color pages- and some watermelon rinds-when i got chickens i just added their used litter-hay-shavings and poop. they get all veggie matter and even dog-not cat- poop sometimes. Great treat for them is horse or cow poop also. Now i have a 3 tier worm farm, and a bathtub full as overgrowth. Plus a cup or two of worms will turn a mid (kitchen) sized wad of droppings and hay with some wood shavings into compost in 3 or 4 months-you wind up with lots and lots of worms. Just dont let them freeze or get too hot as worm soup stinks.

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

i don't know how long it takes to cook but i've read a few people saying that if you put it in between rows of veggies or around plants, not directly on top of them, that you can use them immediately without them burning.

 

[Sharons7]

I am curious about this also. So far I have been composting and adding the chicken poop-hay to the compost. I have in there veggie food scraps from the kitchen, grass clippings from the yard which is great for making the heat in the pile and i am hoping for some delicious dirt come spring, I'll let ya know . Oh I add worms in there too that I find around. I turn it some once a week or so. One thing I need to do is move the still-not-to-big pile to a place where it gets more sun. We shall see, or smell. lolol

 

[codybird]

All of my reading indicates that 60 days in a compost pile "cools down" "hot" poop. Most add it to their garden in the winter and till it in the next spring.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Hypnotist_Collectr]

I saw on Gardenweb, some guy saying when he built new raised beds, he put it at the bottom of the beds, beneath leaves, and then added his soil/compost ontop of those... He said that his veggies grew faster & better than they ever had, probably because it was heating up from the bottom... (That was his theory)
Another one (like they are saying up there) said they put the shavings in between the plants, but not on them... I have done this, and no damage here... Though, I will tell you, to make sure the garden isn't too close to your house. I had mine right outside my front door, and after about 3 days it stunk to high heavens!

I took a ho and worked it into the dirt, and it doesn't stink anymore, but I won't be doing that again.

 

[Wifezilla]

Keep in mind that I am using duck poo not chicken poo, but I let mine compost a couple of weeks and then put it between rows. In this climate, the sun breaks it down so fast I have no need to fear getting buried in shavings.

 

[chick4chix]

Is this chicken poop by itself or with pine shavings? Just the poop itself is too hot and must be composted first, but with pine shavings you can put it straight into the garden as mulch and it won't burn. I have done this and even put it straight onto potted plants and veggies as a mulch- the plants are glorious, healthy with no burning. I also put it in my worm bins, and in the regular compost heap- the worms love it.
Here is a link to one of "Fred's Fine Fowl" videos on using it straight in the garden- but ONLY if it has shavings- not straight droppings.

Good Luck