Fresh chicken poo - safe?

[rogesse]

A neighbour of mine keeps a few chickens (8 I think) and has offered me the....hem (hen)...big pile of chicken doings. He wants to hold a party for his grandchildren so needs the big pile gone.

Free fertilizer great - but is it dangerous, ie salmanella etc, given that it is relatively fresh?

I've bagged up 10 big sacks so far and would like to share it with my allotment neighbours.

Thanks Jane

[SarzWix]

I can't comment on the salmonella risk I'm afraid, but I would assume that if the eggs are safe, the poo probably is too?!
However, fresh chicken poo is definately tooooo strong to use straight on your beds. Off the top of my head; It is very high in Nitrogen which can cause fertiliser burn on your plants, potentially killing them. The poo should be mixed into your compost heap, or your manure heap, and left to rot down until you're preparing the ground for next year.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I have any of that wrong

[di]

We do as Sarah says & mix in with our compost to let it rot down,I think as with any other "poo" unless wellrotted it's gonna burn your plants~but apparrently once rotted chicken poo towers above cows/pigs for benefits.So I'd def not say no to the pile~just wait til it's rotted down to use it!

[Kristen]

I'd put it on the compost heap too. Should accelerate it nicely!

[armadillo]

Yup, you need to rot it down first, supposed to be the best manure available, lovely stuff. Chickens should be vaccinated against salmonella and various other things- you could ask if his have been?

[Mikey]

The problem with chicken poop, is that the urine and excrement come out of the same orifice, this makes it very rich but also very acidic. So I would do as the others have said, and compost it first, or apply it when the ground is left to rest.

[Becca]

I experimented with using a bit of my relatively fresh (been bagged up for a few weeks waiting to go to the plot) chicken poo + bedding as a mulch around some beans and courgettes that looked like they could do with some extra food.. will let you know how they look tommorrow.. my reasoning was that it was about 90% sawdust and 10% poop so I'm hoping it won't be too strong as there shouldn't be much more on any average spot than they'd have left if i let them on the bed to forage (with the advantage of not having them eat my carefully nurtured plants..

[Becca]

update on my experiment, everything's looking healthy with the exception of 1 cucumber plant that looked a bit pathetic when i planted it out so I'm not sure i can blame the poo for that.. that said, it is mostly sawdust, not sure what would happen with concentrated poop..

[Jimmy]

I read that the victorians used to make heated beds.
Would chicken poo work, what mix.
I have a 4' x 2' plastic frame. So I would dig a hole that size and about 2' deep fill it with a foot of fresh poo and perhaps fresh compost. Top off with a foot of soil. Plant courgettes etc in early spring.
Anyone know if it would work ?
Jim

[stooriefit]

Please Guys , Its DUNG!! chicken dung,cow dung, horse dung, etc. A good old English word !! Why not use it?.
Chicken dung is a very good compostaccelerator but should not be used on its own.

[Snadger]

Please Guys , Its DUNG!! chicken dung,cow dung, horse dung, etc. A good old English word !! Why not use it?.
Chicken dung is a very good compostaccelerator but should not be used on its own.

I've just taught the grand bairns to call it poo rather than sh*t! I think poo is preferable to dung!

Shall we we have a poo/dung vote?

[SarzWix]

Shall we we have a poo/dung vote?

We call it 'muck' round here; horse muck, cow muck, pig muck, dog muck, muck-spreading, where there's muck there's brass....

If I had to choose between poo or dung, it'd be poo. I don't like the word 'dung'. Or 'mung' either for that matter.

I think I'm probably rambling

[di]

I've just taught the grand bairns to call it poo rather than sh*t! I think poo is preferable to dung!

Shall we we have a poo/dung vote?

POO!!

[Don Vincenzo]

Please Guys , Its DUNG!! chicken dung,cow dung, horse dung, etc. A good old English word !! Why not use it?.
Chicken dung is a very good compostaccelerator but should not be used on its own.

I strongly believe that it should be called MANURE
Regards
Don Vincenzo

[rogesse]

A million apologies for not thanking you all for the advice sooner (computer has been very very poorly)

They are pampered chucks and there have been no problems with the eggs, so I'll definately compost it.

I didn't know it was an activator (great) and can now do my lady bountiful act around our allotment site without fear of killing anybody! It will be my small thanks for all their help and advice in the last year.

The neighbour has given up his own veg plot and has offered me all I can take, whenever, so the poor man should expect a bag full of courgettes any day now!