A typical hen creates 1 cubic foot of manure every 6 months. Fortunately, chicken manure compost not only adds rich organic matter to the soil--more than even horse or cow manure--but it also improves the earth's ability to retain water. The trick, however, is to handle the chicken manure properly. If the manure isn't well-composted, it will burn and possibly even kill your plants. The good news is, the process is easy, once you know the rules. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Prepare a compost pile or bin. Keep a pile in one corner of the garden, or buy an enclosed composter.
2. Shovel up chicken manure and chicken bedding (which may include sawdust, shavings or leaves).
3. Place manure and bedding in the compost bin or pile.
4. Add carbon materials to the compost pile to help the manure decompose more quickly. How much you'll need to add depends upon what bedding materials you use. As a general rule of thumb, remember the manure itself is high in nitrogen, so try to add 1-part browns (like shredded leaves, shrub prunings, straw, hay, pine needles, wood ash or shredded newspaper) to 1-part greens (like manure and fruit and vegetable scraps). Some gardeners prefer a 2:1 ratio when using chicken manure. The correct ratio will make the compost hot for about 3 days.
5. Wet the mixture of manure and carbon materials.
6. Rotate the materials in the compost pile after about 3 days.
7. Add more manure and more carbon materials at least three times.
8. Cover an open compost pile or allow the compost bin to sit, undisturbed, for about 2 to 6 months. After this time, the compost should be crumbly, dark and have a sweet, earthy scent. You can now add it to the garden.
Tags: compost pile, carbon materials, about days, chicken manure, chicken manure