How do you compost your chicken poo?

[digitS']

Was that a challenge, Nifty?!? :weight

"Question: How much manure would six chickens produce in gallons or pounds on a weekly basis?

"Answer: Six commercial laying hens will generate approximately 11 pounds of manure every week or 1.5 gallons. Broilers will generate less . . . "

University of Missouri

So, if you've got 6 hens and 100 pounds of shavings in the coop - you'll need to clean it out every 4 to 6 weeks. (Or, throw another 100 pounds in and wait 8 to 12 weeks . . .

Steve
:tools

 

[Nifty]

Okay, but if a rooster is heading south at 50 miles per hour from San Fransisco and a hen is heading north at 60 mph from LA.......

Seriously though, this is actually very interesting! Anybody know how much more / less hens poo at night (while sleeping) than during the day (when awake)?

 

[digitS']

I'm not doing any hands-on research . . . nope, not doing it, wouldn't be prudent.

Steve's digits

 

[Nifty]

Anybody have any way (easy and clean) to reduce the particulate matter size of shavings so they decompose quicker?

 

[tiffanyh]

OKay, a lazy man's (women's ) question. If I have shavings from a small chicken coop, can I lay them on the area I grow my tomotas and zucchini and just turn them into the soil, or it that to much for the plants.

Also, can I use rabbit and chicken shavings or dirt from the run floor around my evergreen shrubs and small trees??

Im afraid of "burning" or killing them. But I would like to do this rather than setting up a compost bin. The only free room I have it as the top of a large hill where my goats are. I dont want to wheelbarrow it it up ther...but maybe I should???

 

[Southern Gardener]

I have a cat litter scooper I keep on hand to "filter" the chicken poop under the roost from the shavings - I try to get as much poop without the shavings to go into the composter. I only have five hens so this is pretty easy for me.

 

[patandchickens]

OKay, a lazy man's (women's ) question. If I have shavings from a small chicken coop, can I lay them on the area I grow my tomotas and zucchini and just turn them into the soil, or it that to much for the plants.

Yes, as long as it is done well in advance of the growing season (i.e. put them on in fall or early winter, and let sit over winter before planting in it).

However you will lose a significant amount of nitrogen this way, and also the shavings may well not compost down very well and still be very much 'there' come springtime. If these things are ok, though, then go for it.

(Are you *sure* you don't have room for a compost pile though? I mean, just make a circle of wire fencing or wire some pallets together, it doesn't need to be more than 4' across to hold a considerable amount of compost. Remember the pile will get smaller as it breaks down.)

(Do you have a droppings board under your roost? If you use a droppings board, sprinkled with a tiny amount of floor litter each day, that can really prolong the life of your floor litter and reduce the amount of cleanings, plus the stuff you clean off the droppings board will then have a pretty good carbon to nitrogen ratio for optimal composting...)

Also, can I use rabbit and chicken shavings or dirt from the run floor around my evergreen shrubs and small trees??

I wouldn't, not uncomposted. It would be a gamble.


Pat

 

[Reinbeau]

For the record, you can put rabbit manure right on the garden without composting, just make sure you don't touch plants with it. I've been doing this for years with no problems at all, my great-grandmother, who was a wonderful gardener and herbalist did the same thing - sheep manure, too (she had sheep). It's not as hot as other manures, like chicken. I've actually lost my rabbit manure connection, my neighbor doesn't have them anymore

 

[tiffanyh]

Thats for the advice guys, I have to think it through.... :dance

 

[miss_thenorth]

Rabbit droppings are considered a cold manure--meaning you don't need to compost it before adding it to your garden.

What I do with my chicken droppings, is (I have a tray under their roost.) I scoop it into buckets, dump the buckets into garbage pails, add water, let it set, and water my plants with it.