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Post by desertwoman on Oct 19, 2023 9:39:32 GMT -5
A neighbor now has chickens and I have access to however much chicken manure, with straw, that I want.
I shoveled up several wheelbarrows full about 3 months ago and added to my compost pile. I've turned it 3 times since then.It looks pretty aged to my inexperienced eye but can't quite tell (or am doubting my perception) since some of the straw is still straw. I am no till so the plan is to spread it on top of the veggie garden, with some coffee grounds and then blanket it with crushed leaves, as I always do, and let it do its thing over the winter.
Since I am a no till, I'm wondering how to do my garlic bed. If I was confident it is well aged I wouldn't even be giving it a thought, but not experienced in using chicken manure straight from the source I am a bit hesitant. Do you think the garlic will be OK if I plant it then top it with the compost with chicken manure and then blanket it with crushed leaves and pine straw, like I always do? Or might it be better to top the planted garlic like I always do (compost without chicken manure, leaves and pine straw) and then maybe top dress with the compost that has the chicken poop in the spring?
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Post by datgirl on Oct 19, 2023 11:13:25 GMT -5
My chicken poop is a little older, but I dug it into the garlic bed and it's been sitting for a few days now. After I plant the garlic in a few weeks, I cover with leaves and pine needles. By spring, it's all composted. I don't use a lot, just to cover the bed and the dig it in. Not sure if it's considered hot and would harm your garlic.
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Post by breezygardener on Oct 19, 2023 12:01:13 GMT -5
Honestly? I'd wait until the chicken manure is completely composted - i.e. you can no longer see actual individual chicken poops. Chicken manure IS considered a "hot" manure, & I would (& didn't) take an chances with it. The only manure that I know of that's safe to use right away (& I've used it that way) is rabbit manure, so long as it's not mixed with rabbit litter that has a lot of urine in it.
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Post by gardendmpls on Oct 19, 2023 14:45:37 GMT -5
Also no till. Put it on top in the fall and it's good by spring. Yours is already 3 months old and will continue breaking down on top of the garlic beds during the winter. The composted nutrients will filter down into the soil as it finishes breaking down.
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Post by gardendmpls on Oct 19, 2023 17:25:38 GMT -5
I'd wait until the chicken manure is completely composted - i.e. you can no longer see actual individual chicken poops. I have found that within a day or two you can't see individual poops. Like most bird poop it is usually soft and quickly falls apart. When a hen is broody and only leaves the nest once a day to take care of business (eat, drink and poop), they will have a large poop you can actually see. Part of it is white- nitrogen and the other is brown- food waste.The nitrogen is actually what our bodies would mix with water to form urine. Reptiles have something similar. Both types of animals release wastes from a single opening- the cloaca. In the chicken house part of the coop, where I put wood pellets and shavings, the chicken waste quickly turns into a powdery, soil like substance I put on the beds in the fall. I also add it to pots and grow bags when the plants need a boost. In the chicken pen it goes right into the soil, which is full of worms. This I dig out and put on the compost pile, although I have also used it directly on the beds as they are prepared for the winter. I add a thick layer of hay over it which is mostly broken down over the winter. In the spring I do a weeding and put new hay mulch down to get started. If I neglected to add the chicken fertilizer in the fall, I will add it before putting down the hay mulch in the spring.
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Post by gianna on Oct 19, 2023 18:14:32 GMT -5
What a wonderful 'problem' to have!
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Post by desertwoman on Oct 19, 2023 19:14:28 GMT -5
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Post by binnylou on Oct 22, 2023 9:38:39 GMT -5
Do we need a sub thread? Chicken S*** 101 ?
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Post by datgirl on Oct 22, 2023 9:49:54 GMT -5
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