Chicken manure
is a great additive to vegetable gardens
The advantages of adding chicken manure to vegetable crops are significant, as long as a few simple rules are followed. Does this Spark an idea?
History
Chickens, like most birds, do not urinate. Instead, urea is usually expelled from the body as a white "cap" on fecal droppings. This makes chicken manure a very high-nitrogen fertilizer.
Significance
Nitrogen from fresh manures can be detrimental to plants and cause the roots to burn. Seasoning manure by allowing it to sit exposed to the elements or by mixing it into a compost heap will give it time to become a readily available source of nutrients for plants.
Benefits
In addition to amending garden soil with organic matter, chicken manure delivers a huge nitrogen punch that is perfect for plants like tomatoes, greens and particularly the soil-depleting corn. It is a good general fertilizer, and it will boost the growth and development of most vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Warning
Chicken manure must be aged before being used to lessen the risk of transferring salmonella or other diseases to vegetables intended to be consumed. Sixty days is about the average aging period. Alternatively, fresh manure can be spread or tilled into a bed one season prior to a planned planting.
Fun Fact
According to PoultryOne, chicken manure has a make up of 1.8 percent nitrogen, 1.5 percent phosphate and 0.8 percent potash. This results in an approximate nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) ratio of 2:2:1.
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