What does everyone do with the Poo?

[AK Michelle]

I should add that I do compost some too. but I have more than I really need, and other people need the chicken litter to help their compost get hot enough.

 

[feathersnuggles]

What works for me ... spreading the poop and spent litter together onto the veg garden beds in the fall/winter and letting it age in place right there. If I put shredded leaves or newspapers on top of it, that works even better because the worms (they hate light) will work to the top and break everything down to a nice black compost. Any "extra" poop in the meantime can be tucked down under the top leaves or newspaper and it will break down in place, too. When spring arrives, I move away the top layer and plant directly into a rich new compost. Also works for raspberries and perennials, except you can just spread the litter/poop around those plants almost any time to enrich the soil.

This is my first time having chickens, but I've got a friend who was giving me her chickens' litter and poop last year, so I now have a little experience with it.

ETA: I don't put raw litter or poop onto any growing vegetables or annuals during growing season b/c they get burned or stunted.

 

[Chickapooh23]

I have a compost pile where I store it until fall. When we have a frost and the garden dies off then I will spread it and clean out the chicken coop. Then all winter I start composting again. When I clean out the coop in the fall I don't compost it. There is a lot of litter mixed with it and it has all winter to cool off. But then when I do my weekly cleanings that gets composted because it is all from under the roost and need a "cooling off" period.

 

[fasbendera]

You can put to much on your garden. Natural or manmade fertilizer if to much is applied more foliage and less flowering. No flower means no fruit. I have owned a greenhouse for 11 years and have had first hand experience of to much poo on the garden by DH and customers who over fertilize and don't have any flowers on their plants.

I now have people lined up for poo and I keep a balance on our use and sharing it with others. Feed bags work great for the sharing with friends and family.

We also put ours directly on our garden. Fresh poo is a issue with young seedlings. Most of ours goes on in the fall winter and in the spring summer it goes on the raspberries and rhubarb.

 

[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.

 

[rstampa]

Compose!!!

 

[Sjisty]

I have been throwing it under our citrus trees. This year they are bursting with fruit - I can't wait 'till it's ripe!