Usable Manure?

[yyz0yyz0]

Ok, so one of the big reasons I want to get chickens is for the constant supply of Manure for my garden/compost.

In the past my rule of thumb has been "if it just eats things that grow, it's poop can be used to grow other things" So I don't use manure from meat eaters, ie dogs/cats/humans, etc etc.

What does that mean about chicken manure if the chickens eat meat? It was always my understanding that meat eaters have pathogens in their digestive tracts that are excreated in the manure that is not good to get on plants that we eat. Would a chicken digestive tract be different and not carry the pathogens?

 

[Chris09]

Ok, so one of the big reasons I want to get chickens is for the constant supply of Manure for my garden/compost.

In the past my rule of thumb has been "if it just eats things that grow, it's poop can be used to grow other things" So I don't use manure from meat eaters, ie dogs/cats/humans, etc etc.

What does that mean about chicken manure if the chickens eat meat? It was always my understanding that meat eaters have pathogens in their digestive tracts that are excreated in the manure that is not good to get on plants that we eat. Would a chicken digestive tract be different and not carry the pathogens?

All manure should really be composted before use, weather it be Horse, Cow, Sheep, Goat, Rabbit or Poultry.
By composting it you will kill all the pathogens that are found in manure.


Chris

 

[Den in Penn]

All creature poop pathogens. You might be safer with using vegetarian's manure, but even they carry pathogens. Composting is one way of cutting the number of pathogens down. If applying manure directly, the general rule of applying it six months before harvest allows nature time to neutralize them. And by not applying it as a side dressing while the plant is growing will limit exposure.

 

[yyz0yyz0]

good to know. I usually do either run it through the compost first or bury it in the fall so I guess I'm good to go.

want my chickens to be "killers!", throw them the biggest bugs I can find and any mice/moles I can catch are gonna be history in with the girls.