How to Compost Chicken ManureI am going to introduce to you the revolutionary benefits of composting chicken waste. Composting chicken manure has a plethora of health benefits for your soil because it contains a wonderfully dense amount of nitrogen. Nitrogen is vital for the health of your planting soil, so it is vital to find the best manure and composting methods available to you today. I believe that when you compost chicken poop, it is the best method, so I am going to explain what it entails, the steps involved, and much more! Read on to become a chicken manure expert!
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Why You Need to Compost Chicken Manure
Chicken manure on its own can harm plants with its high concentration of nitrogen and other nutrients. In order to unlock the multitude of chicken manure benefits for your soil, you must properly compost it. The composting method allows the nitrogen to dilute to a safe level for plant life, and it becomes suitable for plant growth, stem strength, and leaf developing capabilities.
Before You Begin Composting, Read This!
Before you try to tackle composting, start by padding your chicken coop with wood shavings or other natural, absorbent materials in order to catch some of the overly leeched nutrients that chicken manure produces. This will help move along the composting process once you begin because it will lower the risk of nutrient oversaturation that could harm your soil. It also makes the composting process move along more quickly and much easier. Try to keep this padding at around six or seven inches for the best absorption results. Change this padding out about once every three to four months to keep the coop clean and the padding and waste compostable. When you change this padding out, remember to add the removed padding to your composting pile. It will give the pile a nice boost of carbon and nitrogen, but not in a way that oversaturates the composting pile.
The Composting Method: How to Compost Chicken Manure
Now, let’s get down to business and talk composting. I’m going to go over in detail each of the composting method steps to get the meat of the information onto the page, and then I will break it down in a simpler step-by-step list for quick reference. Let’s get started!
The first step to composting your chicken poo is to pick your composting location. Try to find a spot that will not deter you or your neighbors with its smell once you begin to compost. It is also a good idea to create a raised compost pile to keep the compost up and off the ground. This will allow your compost to aerate and it will keep the majority of harmful pests away from your compost pile and your home. You will also want to choose a place that has a big enough area to allow for the volume of the compost and waste you will be acclimating, depending on the amount of compost you have and the number of chickens you are housing.
Secondly, you will need to gather up the materials and contents of your compost bin. This includes the chicken poo, the padding from the coop, any food scraps you acquire from your own table and the chicken’s feed, and more. As long as it decomposes well and is of a natural or paper composition, it will be relatively useful in your compost pile.
Next, you need to make sure you add a sufficient amount of water to your compost pile. The hydration allows the pile to speed up the composting process and begin producing its beneficial nutrient properties. It also allows for some of the nutrients to leach out and away from the pile, lessening the oversaturation of nutrients that can harm your soil and your plants. The overall texture of your compost pile should resemble that of a dampened sponge.
As a key part to safely composting, next you must regularly check the temperature of the compost pile. When you compost, as is natural bacteria will begin to grow and be present within the chicken manure and the natural materials in the pile. Additionally, the moist environment produced from watering your compost pile may breed bacteria. Therefore, you need to ensure a sufficient heating temperature from the sun and the surrounding atmosphere in order to kill off this harmful bacteria culture. Temperatures of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit are needed for this to occur, but 150 degrees is a good goal to shoot toward. This will allow the compost to essentially cook the nasty bacteria that could cause harm, including salmonella. listeria, and streptococcus.
Lastly, sit back and let your compost take time to do its job. Compost needs about two and a half months to really reap the benefits of its nutrients. It also allows for enough time to kill the harmful bacteria I previously mentioned. All good things come to those who wait for their compost!
That’s it! It’s all pretty simple once you know what to do, right? Let’s break it down a bit, so you can come back and reference this article in a pinch.
The Steps, Broken Down
- Pick a good spot to compost.
- Gather your materials, which includes the manure, padding, food scraps, and more.
- Water your compost.
- Take the compost’s temperature, which should be around 150 degrees Fahrenheit optimally for killing off bacteria.
- Let it sit and stew for about two and a half months.
- It’s good to go!
Conclusion
Chicken feces can become a problem for some chicken owners, but it doesn’t have to be as long as you learn how to properly compost it and use the manure for the benefit of your soil! In this article, we went over what chicken poop composting is, how to perform it, and a step by step guide on how to complete the process properly. I sincerely hope that this explanation of chicken manure and the process at which you compost it has helped you to better understand the validity of the composting benefits and provided clarity about how to proceed with your composting process.
