Deep-litter chicken poop ???

[warmfuzzies]

Yes, that is very simular to what I would be doing. I would be watering it, and it would not be in comtact with the plants untill it was watered in and decomposed some. And it will be a very small amount, much less then one inch.

We shall see!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

My worry is that I've was told (years ago when I first started gardening)that chicken poo was the most concentrated & therefore needed more time to break down.

All I know is that when my neighbor kindly delivers poo from her ponies to me --she has a machine which picks up the poo & cuts the grass at the same time (christened by me as the "POO-VAC")-- I can use this mixture straight away as a mulch/fertiliser. It breaks down very fast because the cut grass heats up the mixture & turns it into compost which the rain takes down into the soil beneath. We have a lot of rain here of course -- I have no experience of dry areas.

I have used some cow poo but I've always put that in the compost heap and added grass clippings, leaves, shredded paper etc.

I do use my grass clippings as a mulch on top of the soil round my veggies but I put that on in thin layers but often as I find if you put a deep layer on it can make the soil too hot & the bottom leaves go brown. The chickens, who free-range, also regard these areas as a chicken play-ground & make a hell of a mess!!!!!

:tools :tools :tools :tools :tools


I find that all the squash, melon & tomato families seem to be able to use the goodness from nearly raw poo much more easily. Just think of all those seeds which germinate in your compost heap -- I think there is a clue there.

I think so many things affect our success in gardening & this forum illustrates that so if we can continue this topic as the season goes on we should come up with some interesting information for the future We all have so much to learn from one another.

Meanwhile have a good week :bouquet I hope all those still under snow or water have dry & warm weather.
:rose Hattie :rose

 

[wifezilla]

Well Hattie...Colorado is warming up and drying out at least.

 

[vfem]

I compost mine first because I use the pine bedding.... I cleaned out the whole coop after winter and into the compost it went. Its in my second pile until I use up some of my first pile that over wintered. I won't be using that pile until its time to get ready for my fall planting.

 

[robbobbin]

vfem-I believe pine bedding is very bad for your chickens. That's what they say-chicken people.
Perhaps I misunderstood you or them-lol
But I always steer clear of pine bedding for my birds just in case.

 

[desertgirl]

vfem-I believe pine bedding is very bad for your chickens. That's what they say-chicken people.
Perhaps I misunderstood you or them-lol
But I always steer clear of pine bedding for my birds just in case.

I just learned this-pine has aromatics that can be bad for your bird's respiratory health. I don't know, but I personally switched to aspen, just to be safe (and will be using that in my composting).

 

[wifezilla]

It's the cedar that is bad, not the plain pine.

 

[desertgirl]

Actually, I have heard they both are bad (though cedar is much worse).