Using Chickens to Fertilize a Garden - How Many Square Feet Per Chicken?

[westes]

Manure is widely thought to be high in N, but a lot of that quickly gets converted to ammonia gas and blows off into the air. But what is left and what quickly gets out of hand is the phosphorous (P) and a lessor extent potassium (K). So the "crops" planted need to be heavy feeders of those two. Composting is going to help shed a lot of the excess N, but not the other two minerals. Over time, what looked like a good thing early on starts to become a problem as excess starts to build up. Long term, the put and take have to reach an equalibrium or things start getting toxic. And again, it is not always the Nitrogen that gets going too hot.

Which types of plants or trees do best in a high phosphorous and potassium environment? Can we generalize? It surprises me that birds being fed most of their calories on grains like wheat and corn would be high potassium. Potassium normally is associated with fruits and vegetables not grains.

Thanks for great information on square foot per bird.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I think they poop a lot all day long. In fact i can't believe how much they like to run around my pool patio and poop! I thought chickens would be off in my landscape or on the grass all the time, but no Mine love to hold it all in until the moment I open the door to the run and they run out to the patio leaving bombs behind them. They don't even poop in the run that much because thats where they dust bathe. My chickens love to sit on my patio staring at me. I don't see how you could plant in the run, since they would eat everything.

 

[Flock In Texas]

I'd suggest a portable grazing pen to be used during the plants' off season. Let it cool down and plow it in before planting. Some people have small chicken wire tunnels sitting between rows and around the borders to weed the garden, eat bugs, and fertilize.

If you can free range, you can let them alternate seasonally between garden and yard with a divider fence.

If you just have 3-4 chickens, a chicken tractor would fit the bill.

 

[Howard E]

Which types of plants or trees do best in a high phosphorous and potassium environment? Can we generalize? It surprises me that birds being fed most of their calories on grains like wheat and corn would be high potassium. Potassium normally is associated with fruits and vegetables not grains.

Thanks for great information on square foot per bird.

I think you answered your own question. Fruits and vegetables......along with grains. In the Midwest, a big fertilizer expense is phosphorous and a lot of livestock manure is high in it as grains are high in it and the livestock don't use it all, so it passes through.

I've been told in place like Iowa, some large farmers have built hog confinement buildings on their farms with no intention whatsoever of raising hogs themselves. They hire labor or lease the facility to a young farmer who does the dirty work. The farmer gets the rental income and the biggest reward of all.......the hog manure. High in N and P. Really good for Iowa corn fields, which they have a lot of!!!