Chicken Manure

[jaku]

I'm getting 50 meat birds in a couple of weeks, and I keep them in a portable tractor in the yard. What's the most efficient way to use them to fertilize my garden, planting in May? I was thinking just run the tractor over the dirt, tilling it in after each pass. Would that make it too hot? Is there a better way to do it? Thanks!

 

[farmerlor]

Ummmm, I'm thinking 50 meat birds are going to create a lot of waste that will make whatever area they're in pretty hot.

 

[patandchickens]

Yeah, I'd be real careful with it -- maybe tractor them first on the parts you want to plant earliest, and not plan on planting the later-tractored parts. A month is not very long for it to 'sit', especially for the poo from that many birds in that small a space.

Any chance to use them to prepare NEXT year's garden? Or maybe a plot for squash/punkins/melons to be planted in June?

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[jaku]

Thanks folks, I have a two acre yard, so the tractor won't be going over JUST the garden area- I was thinking of moving it around the garden for a week or so, then moving through the rest of the yard and tilling the poo in. So, it would have a couple of months to work in before planting.

 

[momofdrew]

go to www.gardengirltv.com on youtube she has a vidio on how to use a chicken tractor in the garden...It takes a couple of months to do