Using Aged Chicken Manure?

countrynaturals on 3/10/2019, 6:12 pm

I have tons of aged chicken manure on the ground in our chicken area. If I scrape off the top 2" - 3", could I use the aged stuff underneath directly in my garden? How far down would I have to go before it could be considered "composted"?

I may have already found my answer.

Hunker wrote:Once the compost has decomposed and is a dark crumbly substance that smells like soil it is safe to use in the garden, even on vegetables.

I'm going back over to the chicken yard to dig down and see what it's like. Fingers crossed.

OhioGardener on 3/10/2019, 8:09 pm

@countrynaturals wrote:I may have already found my answer.

Hunker wrote:Once the compost has decomposed and is a dark crumbly substance that smells like soil it is safe to use in the garden, even on vegetables.

The important part of that statement is "if it smells like soil..". If it has strong smell, or a smell of ammonia, it will burn your plants. Composted chicken manure is very good for the gardens, but raw chicken manure is not. Raw chicken manure can be worked into the soil and allowed to set over the winter, though, and it will be good to plant the following spring.

I miss raising chickens, but we now have too many coyotes, fox, raccoons, and possums to make it worthwhile.

countrynaturals on 3/10/2019, 10:58 pm

@OhioGardener wrote:
@countrynaturals wrote:I may have already found my answer.

Hunker wrote:Once the compost has decomposed and is a dark crumbly substance that smells like soil it is safe to use in the garden, even on vegetables.

The important part of that statement is "if it smells like soil..". If it has strong smell, or a smell of ammonia, it will burn your plants. Composted chicken manure is very good for the gardens, but raw chicken manure is not. Raw chicken manure can be worked into the soil and allowed to set over the winter, though, and it will be good to plant the following spring.

I miss raising chickens, but we now have too many coyotes, fox, raccoons, and possums to make it worthwhile.

Thanks again, OG. I forgot about a huge mound of 2-year aged wood chips that I can dig down into, use the really good stuff in the Salad Bar and SFG bed, and let this chicken manure age a few more weeks in my summer BTE garden. I think that will solve the problem. I just hope there's enough of me to go around -- this is gonna be a job! Rolling Eyes

**sanderson** on 3/14/2019, 2:59 am

I open a bag of Gardeners composted chicken manure today and it smelled earthy. Some bags smell like there is a chicken in the bag.

countrynaturals on 3/14/2019, 10:36 am

@sanderson wrote:I open a bag of Gardeners composted chicken manure today and it smelled earthy. Some bags smell like there is a chicken in the bag.

EWWWW! Even our chicken yard doesn't smell like there's a chicken in it. Shocked

I collected 4 buckets of aged manure and it smells sweet. This is from the side where we keep the chickens that can't run loose for whatever reason. It's a huge area, with only 3 chickens in it right now, so the manure is not that concentrated.

Our compost heap disappeared over the winter, so I've decided to start it over in that back corner. Those confined hens should love it. Also, the ground dips down a little in that corner and that's where all the leaves gravitate in the fall, so it's a perfect spot for it.

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