So much poop ...

[hrmalexandra]

I just moved my girls out to their coop full time 2 weeks ago, so it's time to scoop the poop. They have an outdoor run so the lawn gets plenty. We have a backyard composter too ... is it okay to put the poop there? Okay to put it on food crops? Is there such a thing as too much fertilizer?

 

[patandchickens]

Yes, there is such a thing as too much fertilizer on a plant at one time.

For food crops you should not apply fresh poo unless you are ok with the risk of food poisoning from fecal bacteria -- the usual recommendation is to compost the manure/bedding for 60 days, although if you are very paranoid *and* not composting hotly, longer is even safer.

For ornamentals, I'd still recommend composting the poo to be safe (sometimes you can get away with putting fresh poo around plants but sometimes not, it depends on quite a lot of details that you're unlikely to know in advance, and at least for trees and shrubs and valuable perennials I'd err on the side of caution)

You can put the poo in the composter, or you can just make its own pile (which may be easier). If what you've got has a whole lot of shavings and not overwhelmingly much poo, it may need additional high-nitrogen materials to compost optimally (try fresh grass clippings, pure poo or other animal manure, or even a bit of commercial lawn fertilizer or ammonia if you are *really* in a hurry and don't mind using those things). And if there is a fair am't of bedding it will for sure need a good wetting down with the hose -- you want the whole pile evenly moist but not soggy.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Crystalchic]

we must, we must, we must scoop the poop with the pooper scooper
I'm a pooper scooper, you're a pooper scooper
we're all a pooper scooper

 

[Equus5O]

Quote:
Wouldn't you like to be a pooper scooper, too?!

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. Compost it. Chicken manure is the richest animal manure in N-P-K. Chicken manure is considered "hot" and must be composted before adding it to the garden. Otherwise, it may burn any plants it comes in contact with.

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

I have a similar set-up it sounds like with my girls; I put my chicken's litter into our composter for over 60 days, and haven't had any problems with burning our garden plants or getting ill. We also applied it fresh to the garden after everything died off last fall/winter since it would be 4-5 months before the garden would be tilled and the cold weather (consistently below freezing) would burst the cell walls of any critter living in the manure. Now that I think about it, I certainly hope viruses would also be deactivated by the cold weather.