How Much Chicken Poop Is Too Much?

[VT Chicklit]

I have 4 larger breed chickens who provide me with a dust pan filled with Poop every other day. This winter, I decided to toss it on to my garden to provide some fertilization that will be tilled into the garden in the spring. I am not sure how much is too much. I have been trying to put some into my small raised beds (3' X 3'), my large raised bed (6' X 10') as well as my garden (15' X 20'). I am trying to spread the wealth around. I have a 1" layer on the top of the large raised bed and about the same on the top of the smaller raised beds. I am still tossing the poop on to the garden. Am I putting too much on or will this be OK. I plan to stop in the middle of March, before the ground unfreezes so that the poop can compost a little before it gets tilled in sometime in the middle of April. I plan to place the poop and bedding in a new tumbling composter once I stop putting it into the garden directly. Can someone let me know how much is too much?

 

[patandchickens]

If this is basically straight poo (like off a droppings board, as opposed to being mostly bedding with some poo mixed in), I'd stop now, cover it with a thin layer of used shavings or other mulch (if possible) to limit N losses, and let it sit til I could till it in fairly deeply, then after tilling let it sit a while before planting.

If it is just dirty bedding, i.e more shavings than poo, you could keep going if it's more convenient for you, til you can work it in, but then still wait as long as possible before planting.

It does depend somewhat on what you want to plant, too.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[muddler6]

I would make a compost pile personally, and add kitchen waste, some leaves and such that may be around from the fall, etc. BUT I have also done what you are doing and my garden was fine last year. If you till it under in the spring it would be fine, but you will lose some Nitrogen in the process. I got a compost bin from the local Cooperative Extension office and it resides in the center of my garden. I added chicken poo and such through the last growing season, and plan to spread it across the garden this spring before I till, then I will reload it with the pile I have near the coop now and start all over again.

 

[lengel]

I found this recently:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA205

Basically, an acre of vegetable gardening can take 2-5 tons of layer manure.

 

[gumpsgirl]

I found this recently:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA205

Basically, an acre of vegetable gardening can take 2-5 tons of layer manure.

Great site!

Thanks for sharing.

 

[setter4]

I found this recently:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA205

Basically, an acre of vegetable gardening can take 2-5 tons of layer manure.

Did you notice that this article didn't say anything about composting or aging the manure...hmmmm.