Introduction
Raising chickens at home is making a comeback. While a chicken can produce an egg every 24 hours, the average chicken produces something else in abundance every six months: a cubic meter of manure (Anderson, 2010). With more than one chicken, this quickly amounts to a significant amount of manure that needs to be processed. It cannot continue to accumulate in the garden or it will harm the chickens.
Raising chickens at home has increased in popularity. (photo: W. Hanson-Mazet)
What does a homeowner, especially one who lives in an urban environment, do with all that manure? The answer is to use it as a soil conditioner or fertilizer.
However, raw chicken manure can burn and damage plants. It must be composted or stored before use. In addition, raw manure can contain pathogens that can be harmful to humans and animals. When composting is done correctly, the process destroys disease-causing organisms, making chicken manure safe to use around plants, people and pets.
Compound
What comes out of a chicken coop isn't just feces. It also consists of urine, feathers, undigested food and stable bedding. Composting breaks down these materials into a form that is good for plants.
Benefit
Composted chicken manure is a source of slow release of macro and micronutrients and works as a soil improver. Compared to other fertilizers, chicken manure and associated litter contain more nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium, and are also rich in organic matter (Zublena, 1993). Adding organic matter to the soil increases the water holding capacity of the soil, improves aeration and drainage, reduces erosion, reduces the leaching of fertilizer and improves soil structure.
In addition, organic matter provides a food source for soil microbes, increasing soil biodiversity, which accelerates the breakdown of organic nutrients into forms that are more readily available to plants. All of these factors can improve plant health (Rosen, 2005).
Using composted manure and litter can also reduce the need to add additional fertilizer.
Security
Like other animal waste, chicken manure and waste can contain pathogens such asE. coli, Salmonella, Cryptosporidiumand others. To reduce the risk to humans and pets, proper treatment and precautions are necessary. Stored manure should be stored in a protected area where children, pets and livestock do not have access.
Before manure or litter is added to the garden, it should be composted or stored.
Proper composting will generate temperatures of 140 F to 160 F, which is sufficient to kill most human and animal pathogens, such asE.coli and Salmonella(Griffiths, 2011).
Aging manure and waste only reduces populations of disease-causing microbes by creating unfavorable growing conditions that cause them to gradually die out due to changes in moisture content, temperature and nutrient availability. Pathogens are not actively killed by aging, but are instead prevented from multiplying, resulting in a slow population decline.
Whether composted or stored, fertilizer should be applied no later than 90 days before harvest to crops that do not come into contact with the soil, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers; and no later than 120 days before harvest of crops that come into contact with the soil, such as lettuce, strawberries and carrots (Rosen, 2005).
Bulletin
When planning how to handle chicken manure and litter, consider the necessary storage requirements. The size of the storage area depends on the amount of waste produced, but should always be isolated from children, animals and rain. Runoff should not remain or collect and the pile should drain well to prevent unpleasant odors and the accumulation of disease-causing organisms (Griffiths, 2005). In addition, the storage area should not be located where runoff could contaminate vegetable gardens, edible plants or children's play areas.
A laying hen produces about a cubic foot (about 7.5 gallons) of litter every six months, meaning a flock of ten chickens will produce about three-quarters of a cubic meter per year. When stored, it creates a pile approximately 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 2 feet high. However, composting or aging will reduce this volume by about half over time.
Composting and ripening
Chicken litter is high in nitrogen and can be composted in about five to six weeks. Composting "cools" the manure and waste material, meaning it reduces ammonia levels so plants are no longer burned. It also reduces the overall volume, weight and odor of the pile. Additionally, composting stabilizes the nutrients, allowing for a slow, sustained release over a few years. Finally, the temperatures created during the composting process will kill most pathogens and weed seeds.
In residential areas, odors caused by manure piles can quickly become a nuisance to both the chicken owner and surrounding neighbors if not handled properly. Bad odors usually arise when the inside of a pile lacks adequate oxygen supply, allowing the spread of microbes responsible for unpleasant, sewer-like odors. When composting, ensure adequate drainage from the pile and turn the pile weekly to add oxygen. A well-managed compost pile should have an 'earthy' smell, like good potting soil.
If a compost pile cannot be turned every week, it may be better practice to dry out and mature the manure before placing it in a pile.
Removing the moisture from the manure inhibits microbial growth and decomposition, preventing associated odors. Whenever a house is being cleaned, the manure can be spread thinly on a tarp or other impervious surface to dry in the sun before being added to the pile. The drying pile must be protected from precipitation or other water sources, otherwise decomposition (and odors) may occur.
Safety tips
- Apply only composted or aged manure to the soil unless applied in the fall before planting.
- Always wear gloves when handling manure.
- Wash raw vegetables thoroughly before eating them.
- People susceptible to foodborne illness should avoid eating uncooked vegetables from manure-amended gardens. Those at risk from foodborne illness include pregnant women, young children, and people with cancer, kidney failure, liver disease, diabetes, or AIDS (Anderson, 2010).
Conclusion
“Poultry manure, when properly managed, is the most valuable manure produced by livestock” (Mitchell and Donald, 1995). When a family raises chickens, they have a supply of brown gold from composted or aged manure that their garden and landscape plants can benefit from.
References
- Anderson, E. 2010. Use of manure, including chicken manure, as compost. Community Gardening Fact Sheet #25. Washington State University. Seattle, WA.
- Griffiths, N. 2011. Best practice guidelines for the use of poultry manure on pasture. Primefact 534. Ministry of Industrial Development, Agriculture and Forestry. New South Wales, Australia. [Online] Available at:NSW.
- Mitchell, C.C. and Donald, J.O. 1995. The value and use of poultry manure as fertilizer. Circular ANR-244. Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities. Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
- Rosen, C.J. and Bierman, P.M. 2005. Use of manure and compost as nutrient sources for fruit and vegetable crops. Circular M1192. Ministry of Soil, Water and Climate. University of Minnesota Extension. [Online] Available at:UMN.
- Zublena J.P., Barker J.C., Carter T.A. 1993. Poultry manure as a fertilizer source. Publication AG-439-5. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.
