How long to compost chicken poo?

[chickiemom3]

We got our first batch of chickens last August and immediately began adding the coop and run debris to our compost pile. A mix of straw, grass clippings, leaves and pine shavings is used in both coop and run. We let the pile start processing in October. Most of the pine shavings have completely broken down at this point (one small area of the pile was not--we set this aside). So now our questions are 1) Has this been long enough to use? And 2) How do we use it??? We sprinkled some into the garden before planting and mixed it thoroughly into the soil, but will it still be too hot at this point to put directly next to plants to fertilize throughout the growing season?

 

[Mace Gill]

Two years. Chicken poo has a lot more ammonia than other manure and needs more time to smooth out, otherwise it will seriously affect the taste of your vegetables. After harvest this fall, maybe its long enough to mix into your beds if you till them before winter

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Watching this thread to see the replies - I want to know this as well.

 

[17 chickens]

I add it to my garden and flower beds after one year of sitting, you can also make a Chicken poop tea out of it that waters it down enough so you can use it sooner.

 

[Mace Gill]

I add it to my garden and flower beds after one year of sitting, you can also make a Chicken poop tea out of it that waters it down enough so you can use it sooner.

I think it would be okay for flowers ... how do your vegetables do?

 

[17 chickens]

I think it would be okay for flowers ... how do your vegetables do?

They do just fine, no burning the plants and no funny taste to the vegetables. The key is to get a drum of some kind plastic or metal and fill it with water I use a large old towel and a tube sock because I want the tube sock to catch all seeds from weeds, grains and clumps of straw. pack it full of compost and tie it closed then set it in the middle of my towel then tie it with rope or something that it can hang in the water. Let it sit for awhile then use it. If you add to much to your water then you'll get the nasty taste and burn your plants.

 

[Beer can]

I use deep liter. It's dry, powder, looks like dust/dirt. Sure it's 'hot' but I've had no probs using it in the garden, how I use it. I use it underneath the plants, holes, trenches, fill with chicken manure, top with a few inches of soil, plant. Plants roots have to grow down into it, surrounding soil is manure free. Plenty of each. Haven't had any burned by it yet.
This yr I'm trying something different, have it soaking and fermenting in 55gal plastic barrels, it's working, bubbly. Using it same way, under the plants. Think I'll try using it as a liqued tea fertilizer later this yr and apply directly to the soil, see what happens.

 

[barred2rock]

If the compost is finished, it's fine to place in your beds, just wait a few weeks/months for it to rest before putting plants in. A good time to do this is in late fall, if you don't plan a winter crop. Stir a week before planting.

 

[flyin-lowe]

I am fairly new to chickens, gardens, etc. Last spring was my first time with chickens and with a garden. I did a form of deep litter in my coop. I started with a layer of pine shavings then every couple weeks I would add some leaves or lawn clippings and occasionally some straw. I left that in the coop to build up until October. After my garden was done I spread the mix over my garden and left it all winter. It was pretty much broken down but there was still some of the straw left. In the spring once it thawed I tilled everything under and before planting my garden I spread another layer that had built up over the winter. I left it on the garden until it was time to plant. I tilled it in again and then planted. Time will tell if I see any affects from doing it this way but so far it looks good

 

[lazy gardener]

Till it no longer looks or smells like poo. It should be dark and crumbly and have a nice sweet soil smell.