Gazinga
Chillin' In The Garden
i would like to use the pine shavings from my chicken coop with the droppings for fertilizer in my vegitable garden. How do i do this?
Chicken poo fertilizer?
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Reinbeau
Deeply Rooted
You need to set them aside into a pile to compost. You can mix in grass clippings, chopped leaves, garden debris (make sure it's free of disease, don't put, for example, blighted tomato vines in there, also, don't put weeds that have gone to seed in there, it may not get hot enough to 'cook' them), etc. Turn it a few times over a span of six months or so (over this winter would be ideal if it's unfrozen). Next spring you should have nice compost to fertilize your gardens.
I've always wanted chickens, to have running around the yard and for eggs, but another primary reason was for the chicken poo. Funny what makes us happy in life, huh?
I've always wanted chickens, to have running around the yard and for eggs, but another primary reason was for the chicken poo. Funny what makes us happy in life, huh?
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Gazinga
Chillin' In The Garden
thats what i needed to know, thanks alot, but does it need to "age" 6 months? most compost take about 2 or 3 months
vfem
Garden Addicted
Most compost doesn't take 2-3 months. There is a company that has developed a 'bacteria' to add to compost now that speeds up compost time to 2-3 months. For good ready to use compost, you need to wait 6 months. Fall is a good time to really go all out on it, that way its ready for spring. We've turned out burn pile area in the yard into a temp compost pile for my veggi garden in the spring, I'll use the compost then... and then the burn pile comes back until the next fall when I start the compost over.
I do keep a large old plastic planter near the trash to throw in my plant clippings and bad fruits and veggies I wouldn't feed the chickens... I dump it into the compost pile with the chicken droppings in the fall.
(I also throw worms I find while working in the yard into the pile... our local fishery shop sells not only fishing worms, but red compost worms to help the process along.)
I do keep a large old plastic planter near the trash to throw in my plant clippings and bad fruits and veggies I wouldn't feed the chickens... I dump it into the compost pile with the chicken droppings in the fall.
(I also throw worms I find while working in the yard into the pile... our local fishery shop sells not only fishing worms, but red compost worms to help the process along.)
freshfood
Chillin' In The Garden
I have chickens this year for the first time, too. Last fall I spread the coop cleanings around in the garden. Our tiller is on the tractor, and tills to a depth of about one foot - that should be enough to keep 5 or 6 month old chicken poo from burning the plants, right?
I also have a new bed, just tilled last fall. I already put in rhubarb, and one catnip plant, and a few leek seedlings (just to see if they'll overwinter and give me a headstart on my leeks), but this spring I want to plant asparagas and maybe black raspberries. If I spread the chickenpoopshavings real thin and till it in before I plant, would it be ok? or should I side dress the asparagas with it? or compost it before I use it in any way in the garden?
I also have a new bed, just tilled last fall. I already put in rhubarb, and one catnip plant, and a few leek seedlings (just to see if they'll overwinter and give me a headstart on my leeks), but this spring I want to plant asparagas and maybe black raspberries. If I spread the chickenpoopshavings real thin and till it in before I plant, would it be ok? or should I side dress the asparagas with it? or compost it before I use it in any way in the garden?
ronnyc
Sprout
It is also my first year with hens. I clean my coop weekly and throw it here and there in the garden. I will do this as long as it continues to freeze, as I have always been told that poo for the garden needs one good winter's freezing to render it safe to use. When the freezing stops, then I will put the poo in a pile and spread it the following winter. I am pretty sure that the levels of poo generated by my 12 girls does not rise to the level of creating a dangerous health risk, so I am not concerned about any little bit of fresh poo that might not get a good freezing. Should I be worried about this?
vfem
Garden Addicted
We rarely get a freeze here... so I don't know how true that is for us southern folk who use it.
I have either been throwing mine in the compost over the winter, or turn it directly into the soil. I'll give the beds a couple more turns before I plant in them.
I have either been throwing mine in the compost over the winter, or turn it directly into the soil. I'll give the beds a couple more turns before I plant in them.
ronnyc
Sprout
WOW! No freezing? I have often wondered what gardening would be like in the South. I am curious as to how long your growing season is there. Here in Oregon's West side Willamette Valley is not really too bad. I start my Tomatoes inside around mid march and plant them in cages wrapped with plastic around mid-May. The rest of the stuff, peppers, potatoes, corn, etc... goes in o the 1st of June. Depending on when the rain, (monsoon), starts is usually the difference for me. Last year, it held off until October. The year before was the first of September, a whole month of loss for my tomatoes.
There is obviously more to the compost pile than I have heard of, but learning. I have been gardening this 50' x 60' here since 1880 and only started composting and using compost from other sources for the last four or five years. To speed up the rewards of composting, In the fall of 2007, I hauled 15 yards of 2-3 year old horse manure composted with sawdust. Last fall I hauled 9 pickup loads of oak leaves in on top of that. Tilled the wet garden on the 24th and, WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I am so happy with the results and ready to plant my peas.
Thanks for the info.
Ron C.
There is obviously more to the compost pile than I have heard of, but learning. I have been gardening this 50' x 60' here since 1880 and only started composting and using compost from other sources for the last four or five years. To speed up the rewards of composting, In the fall of 2007, I hauled 15 yards of 2-3 year old horse manure composted with sawdust. Last fall I hauled 9 pickup loads of oak leaves in on top of that. Tilled the wet garden on the 24th and, WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I am so happy with the results and ready to plant my peas.
Thanks for the info.
Ron C.
vfem
Garden Addicted
I am still new too... this is my first compost pile I started last august. Got the chickens in July... shoot, I just got the house and yard last may... before that I would just do some basic plant upkeep at my moms. I'm like newer then some of my seedlings in the bathroom!!!
Anyways, we have a lengthy 200+ day growing season. I started my tomatoes in the bathroom and kitchen along with beans and peas and tons of flowers the first couple of weeks of January. Some will go out in March, but some are more delicate and will go out in April. I also have carrots, spinach and brocolli in the ground as my cool weather crops. I'll have lettuce and radishes out next week.
If anyways, I would only go further south to just be able to grow longer. I've done my time in New England, and won't be going back.... EVER!
Anyways, we have a lengthy 200+ day growing season. I started my tomatoes in the bathroom and kitchen along with beans and peas and tons of flowers the first couple of weeks of January. Some will go out in March, but some are more delicate and will go out in April. I also have carrots, spinach and brocolli in the ground as my cool weather crops. I'll have lettuce and radishes out next week.
If anyways, I would only go further south to just be able to grow longer. I've done my time in New England, and won't be going back.... EVER!
