Seasoning Chicken Litter Compost

[PicoFarm]

How long does it take for chicken litter to "season" in the midwest? Eg."cook" until ready for amending garden soil?

 

[Sueby]

I think a lot depends on your style of composting, your ingredients, how often you turn it, how big the pile is, etc.

I throw all my kitchen scraps, all my fall leaves, all the litter from the coops & all garden weeds & things in mine & it cooks for a year. I try & turn it every week with the tractor, it's too big to turn by hand. In the winter it freezes & sits, though I still add on till spring when I start a new pile. I don't even pretend to measure greens or browns or moisture or heat. It's pretty good compost by the fall.

As far as just using litter in the garden & not really doing a compost system, not sure there. I hear you can't just put it directly in the garden because it's too hot, but I'm no help with that really.

 

[Sally PB]

https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/2010/05/08/hot-compost-composting-in-18-days/

If you can turn it, this method works well.

 

[PicoFarm]

https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/2010/05/08/hot-compost-composting-in-18-days/

If you can turn it, this method works well.

Great resource. Thanks!

Looking at high Nitrogen materials, maybe I'll just have my son pee outside on the compost pile. HA!

 

[Sally PB]

Looking at high Nitrogen materials, maybe I'll just have my son pee outside on the compost pile. HA!

That isn't as strange as it sounds. Urine from a healthy human is sterile, has a good amount of nitrogen, but also some phosphorus and potassium, the big three. It's been used as fertilizer to good effect for centuries. If he's not on any prescription drugs, tell him to go for it.

The testosterone will help keep critters away. I wish I could talk my hubby into "marking" the perimeter of our garden.