Chicken manure on lottie/compost heap ?

[Rob the Radish]

As per title, I also keep quite a number of hens and would like to be able to utilise the muck when I clean out, does it have a place on the garden or in the compost heap ?

[veggiechicken]

Mine goes in the compost heap.

[Patsy]

I get chicken manure with straw from a friend, but don't put it straight on the soil. I leave it to rot down like you do with horse manure as it can burn plants unless well rotted. I do put some in my compost bins but mainly leave it in a heap on it's own, actually in one of those old builders bags that's got some holes in the bottom. Left for a while it breaks down into nice compost for improving the soil.
Having said all that I did get some horse muck that looked a bit too fresh from a pile at the allotment and spread it over a new bed that won't be used until next spring by which time it should have broken down pretty well. Hope that's useful?

[snakeshack]

I compost mine on its own in builders bags too


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[Rob the Radish]

Thanks, any particular reason a few of you keep it separate ?

[snakeshack]

I keep mine separate as I usually have about one and a half cubic yards when I clear out the chook house and it's mixed with wood shavings which take longer to break down than my other heaps . I tend to wet it evenly place it in a builders bag cover in mypex and just leave for a year


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[skeggijon]

I put mine on the compost heap, but then we've only got 3 bantams

[Floyd]

I use wood shavings/sawdust in my run. I just shovel this out into the compost area and layer it with the copious amounts of lawn trimmings my neighbour provides. A regular showering of " gardeners gold" and turning it over every so often as I add more poo and grass....result is lovely compost the following year.

[Rob the Radish]

Excellent news, can't wait to start utilising it rather than dumping. Thanks for the replies

[Bill HH]

Mine goes in the compost heap.

Amazing, did you train her to do that?

[veggiechicken]

Had to wait until they were out of nappies, Bill

[BUFFS]

I used to put it on the heap, I put newspaper under the chooks roosting bars and in the mornings I just rolled it up and onto the compost heap, and the finished compost was brilliant as it had this and all the veg peelings and egg shells etc, I do think that the paper stopped it getting too wet and I use it sparingly now as I am putting in plants and I keep it bagged up, under cover, but it is a great natural boost for the plants ,once composted...

[Bill HH]

When we had more poultry than i could shake a stick at we actualy purchased 80 acres of land just to have somewhere to put it. The amount of grass it grew was pheno.. a lot. It is a potent fertiliser. i used to dig into heaps of it to get the brandling worms for fishing. Now with hindisght I cant imagine why we didnt pellet the stuff and sell it, it would have been more profitable than producing eggs I think..