So This Is How To Compost Chicken Manure Fertilizer

Chickens poop…

We all know that, so while we have our own backyard chickens, we will get poop in the chicken run.

And yes, we clean it up.

But there is more that we can be doing than just throwing the chicken manure fertilizer away.

Chickens Mean Chicken Manure Fertilizer

Chicken manure fertilizer…

That’s right!

You are throwing good chicken manure fertilizer away when you could be preparing it for your garden…

Yes, you should compost chicken manure.

Chicken manure is great, but it does need to be composted first.

You see, you just can’t get down and dirty picking up your chicken manure and then go and throw it on your garden.

It’s really high in nitrogen and if you throw it straight from the chicken run on your garden, it will burn your grass and your plants.

You need to get your chicken manure and start layering it in a pile.

Chicken manure can be really dry by the time you pick it up, and if you were just to pile it up in one big heap and watered the top of it.

The inside would always stay dry and it would never compost properly.

And it would still be hot when you went to use it.

So instead, you should start to pile it up in layers and, if you have it.
Add some other kinds of organic matter like grass clippings are great, as they also aerate the chicken manure.

If you have leaves, put them on as well, the more organic matter you can add, the better.

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If you can get your hands on some really dry hay in here which is carbon, do so.
Then add some more water to get the heating and moisture process going.

Dampness means microorganisms that do their job breaking down this pile of garden goodness.

You don’t need a lot of water, you want it to be moist.

If you want to really go to town, you can also add some cottonseed meal or even blood meal.

I know it’s more nitrogen, but it really works, just keep sprinkling a little cottonseed meal over your pile to help with the overall process.

Typically, you will want to add about two cups for a three-foot by three foot by three foot heat.

Now, just layer it keep layering your chicken manure…

You will be able to see that when you water it, the water actually repels on it.

And that’s why it is good to add other matter because it holds the moisture in where the chicken manure really does not do this on its own.

Now that we have everything piled up.

Mix it up just a little just to make sure you have enough water if it is quite dry.

You can continue to add more water until it’s like a wrung out sponge.

The typical size that you should have for a compost heap to really do its job is a three-foot by three foot by three foot once it is all piled up.

If you have a compost thermometer with a long probe, you can stick it in, and you can watch your temperature’s rising.

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You should start to see temperatures between 140 to 160 within two to three days.
If you decide that you want your compost to be ready faster.

Then you need to go out to the garden and turn it about every three days.

If you are not so diligent however and don’t really care about time.

Then just go ahead and turn it every week or even every two weeks if you like…

If you want, you can build a chicken manure fertilizer compost pile on top of the tarp preferably.

Now…

Do not do this on a lawn.

Or the whole chicken manure fertilizer pile will end up burning the grass, and you will end up with a big greasy looking dark patch where your nice lawn grass used to be.
Not nice…

If you have a dirt patch, that’s fine also.

But a trap is a good way to turn the compost pile.

You just pick a part of the tarp and roll your compost, and you will find that it turns really easy.

Once your chicken manure fertilizer pile no longer heats up, and it’s starting to get dark.

Like a nice dark brown colour, and it smells like a better cleaner whiff in your nostrils.

Then you know it’s time to add to your veggie garden.

Or you can fill this straight into your existing garden beds for that much-needed feed that your garden will thank you for, with better growing conditions or just a better lawn.