chicken manure

[kittykat8]

I have ben given some chicken manure by some kind person the allotment, when I poked my head in the bag there was staw , paper and everything else in this . Is this good for the soil, i was going to put it in my pollytunnel

thanks
marion

[nick the grief]

yep it will all break down, but itf it's fresh I would leave it in the bag for a few months before using it or add it to your compost heap.

[Digger-07]

If you add it to your compost heap it will help everything decompose quickly. You run the risk of burning the plants with fresh poultry manure so I would always let it rot down before using it. If it has a lot of uncomposted material in it you will deplete the soil while the stuff is decomposing in the ground.

You are very lucky to have a free supply.

[pigletwillie]

As Digger says, chicken manure is "hot" when fresh, much more so than cow or horse manure.

[kittykat8]

chicken manure

As I am new to this I do not yet have a a compost pile, if I dug it into the soil in the polytunnel how long before before I could use it

thanks
marion

[Digger-07]

A good guide that it is "safe" would be when the bulk of the identifiable stuff has disapeared. This could take a few months in the ground, or even longer, depending on the conditions.

Why not start a compost heap with the sack of manure and let it rot down? It will get hotter, decompose quicker and the heat will help kill any weeds. With a bit of luck maybe you will get a regular supply and be able to keep the heap full as you use the good stuff from the bottom.

[kittykat8]

mistake

Put the manure in the soil in the pollytunnel big mistake I think, now been tolfd that it mat not breakdown by spring(march) I have dug it in water well and been digging up worns to go in it, what else can I do to help break it down.

thanks
marion

[Digger-07]

Don't panic

If you have dug it in let nature take its course. I think we can often be too scientific about things. After all normal winter digging usually incorporates manure and plants are OK next spring. I would think that the polytunnel is likely to speed up the decomposition by keeping the soil warmer the minibeasties will be working longer on the manure.

Sit back and wait for the bumper crop next year.

[Squirrel]

I often put fresh manure on my empty beds (sandy soil) as a mulch early winter, and it has always been broken down enough to plant in come Spring. I think you will find that being in the polytunnel that it will break down even quicker as Digger said!

[NOG]

It will be ok by spring, it was only a sack full. Don't worry.

What you actuall need is his chickens in your polytunnel.....let them eat all the insects and manure the ground as they go.

[kittykat8]

5 bags chicken manure

5 bags of chicken manure down 1 side of pollytunnel, large pollytunnel, have visions of me trying to dig it our next weekend, bit difficult as I tried to bread it all in. what a mess


marion

[pete10]

I think you will be ok as the other guys say . My grandad used to have over
a thousand chicken in the poly tunnel over winter , Dug in the stuff in the
spring and toms to die for .

[nick the grief]

Bob flowerdew used to keep a few chooks in his poly tunnels to eat the pests early on in hte year

[kittykat8]

worms

considering buying50 worms for 8.50 big ones

marion

[NOG]

You buy worms at 8.50 for 50.....My boy is in the garden with a torch and a spade now.