What do I do with all the chicken poo?

[Marty1876]

I just scarp spring and fall, and out to either garden or to rot. I often put in peat moss (bought in the big compact bale) to spread about. It keeps the resulting poo soft and friable.

In fall, we shovel and spread over garden and flowers. (once dormant, they appear to be less effected by "heat" of fresh poo, and also no noticable nitorogen lock in the soil, and the peat moss makes is easier to shoval by far, but a bit dusty now and then)

In spring, the poo is put into garbage pails with lids, and labeled for when It was placed. At three monthes, we start to incormporate it as side dressing (12" AWAY from plant stalks) for our more hungry plants, such as tomatoe, squash, and vine crops.

 

[JNB]

There is some wonderful information in this thread I use the DLM (Deep Litter Method) in my main coop.. It works wonderful!!! I did have to learn that ventilation is very important, but it was a fairly easy fix in the coop I have. In the Learning Center Tab here in BYC there is a great article on the DLM https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1560-DLM .

I also have a couple "Rehab Coops" and Tractors.. I use pine shavings in these and when I clean out I like many others said add it to my compost and many times directly to my garden once my plants are established.. My grandfather told me to make the poo work better and not have to worry about it burning or being to concentrated. To simply spread the litter around the garden where I wanted it and then just spray or water it down.. The poo liquefies and soaks into the soil and the shavings are left as a mulch and added bonus they keep the slugs away It works pretty well for me.... Good Luck

 

[MyTDogs]

In spring, the poo is put into garbage pails with lids, and labeled for when It was placed.  At three monthes, we start to incormporate it as side dressing (12" AWAY from plant stalks) for our more hungry plants, such as tomatoe, squash, and vine crops.

Why 12" away?

 

[CAJHomestead]

DLM user here. I'm brand new to this forum and thank everyone for all the good input. Sadly the company I work for has to be the biggest most wasteful company in the U.S. there is, but good for me I am allowed to collect/recycle any and all paper I can. I take this paper shred it, put it in the chicken house, add to it weekly and clean it out at least 3 times a year adding it to the compost bin. I also have another big plus, my father owns a lawn service and always brings me grass clippings and leaves when he has them.

 

[laura877]

I just cleaned out a coop that I use shaving in and will then put them in the garden between rows to use as mulch for weeds. Then in the fall it will be turned under when the garden is all down.

 

[bruceha2000]

I recently bought 12, 50 lb bags of DE. Each bag cost about $23.00. Ouch! Not cheap!

~ Aspen

Why so much DE? It seems to be an "occasional dusting" rather than "a pound a day" sort of product.

 

[bruceha2000]

Why 12" away?

The ammonia content can be quite high and chemically burn the plants.

 

[bluemusefarm]

When can the composted poop go on the garden?

 

[davi]

I usually use a lawn mower to clean up the poop and feathers it the chicken run.

 

[PressOn]

I have an outside perch for the birds to sleep/ poop from. In the moring the sprinklers break down the poop. The best green lawn in the yard is the section where the chicken run. They poop all day and I never clean it up from the lawn. I clean up from under the perches and from the coop, and discard into the garden with the lawn trimmings. I never have chicken poop odor.

Buy birds that like to be outside of the coop where the rain and sprinklers hit. In the winter my birds choose to bee outside in the snow prepping the lawn for green growth in the spring. To me the poop is just one of the many benefits of having chickens.