Fresh manure can be used to make chicken poo 'tea' which can be watered around plants. The ratio should be about one-third manure to two-thirds water.
Manure tea is the best, all-natural liquid fertilizer that you can make at home. You need just five things to create manure tea: Aged chicken manure, water, a 5-gallon bucket, something to stir with, and a colander. To create, mix one-part chicken manure with three parts water in the bucket and stir well.
The answer is to use it as a soil amendment or fertilizer. However, raw chicken manure can burn and damage plants. It should be composted or aged prior to use. In addition, raw manure can contain pathogens that can harm people and animals.
Fresh chicken manure is exceptionally potent. Used in a raw state as a garden fertiliser it can easily kill your plants. To avoid harming your plants you need to allow chicken manure to cure. Here's how to use chicken manure in the garden as a safe and powerful plant and soil booster.
Ideally, you want to let 'hot' chicken manure age for a minimum of 3 months, but preferably 6 months up to 1 year. If you use the hot composting method in a warmed climate or sunny area, you may only need to let the chicken manure compost age for 3 months since the manure breaks down more quickly into compost.
The decomposition process typically takes six months if materials are a half-inch or smaller. At this time, you are ready to use the compost as natural fertilizer for your lawn and garden! Mix thoroughly composted material into garden soil 2-3 weeks prior to planting.
Chicken manure should be mixed into the soil before planting, or it can be used as a top dressing for existing plants.
Chicken manure is an excellent soil amendment and fertilizer BUT it needs to be properly handled and aged before it is used. Learn how to manage your manure for a potent and beneficial natural garden fertilizer.
Proper use of manure in the garden can supply your plants with nutrients and help improve soil structure. Adding too much manure can lead to nitrate leaching, nutrient runoff, excessive vegetative growth and, for some manures, salt damage.
Fill the bucket with water – ideally this should be around 24 litres to every 2.5 kilograms of manure, but this isn't an exact science, so don't be afraid to fill the bucket right up if you have the extra space. Leave the mixture to steep for 2 to 3 days. Stir the mixture approximately twice a day.
Most poultry manure is in the range of pH 6.5-8.0, being neutral to moderately alkaline.
LIQUID FEED – Dissolve one or two handfuls of pellets in 4.5 litres (1 gallon) of water to make a first class liquid feed for all plants. Especially good for grow bag plants such as cucumbers and tomatoes. POT-PLANTS, HANGING BASKETS and WINDOW BOXES – About two handfuls of 6X to a bucket of potting medium.
Chicken manure does not acidify soil: it tends to raise the pH. Actually, one study demonstrates that chicken manure is as effective as lime in raising soil pH (making it more basic rather than more acidic).
Chicken manure is more than a fertilizer though. It is also a good soil amendment; it adds organic matter to the soil, which improves soil structure, moisture-holding, drainage capability, and aeration. Also, soil high in organic matter is less prone to erosion and retains fertilizer better.
Compost and manure are both great options for working into lawns, but manure's higher nitrogen content (especially chicken manure) gives it the edge over compost.
Poultry manure has more of the nutrients plants need to thrive than steer manure does. On average, chicken manure and all poultry manure provides triple the nitrogen and double the phosphate steer manure does.
Both are some of the best resources of nutrients for organic crop farmers, making it easier to earn and maintain your organic certification. They both also increase your soil's water retention. However, cow manure is typically more expensive and contains fewer nutrients than chicken manure.
Fresh chicken manure contains 0.5% to 0.9% nitrogen, 0.4% to 0.5% phosphorus, and 1.2% to 1.7% potassium. One chicken produces approximately 8 to 11 pounds (3.6 to 5.0 kg) of manure monthly. Chicken manure can be used to create homemade plant fertilizer.
Turn your pile over and aerate
As mentioned above, getting air to flow through your pile helps speed up decomposition. In addition to relying on the natural matter to create pockets of air, you can turn your heap over regularly to ensure even decomposition while simultaneously aerating.
It's not too pleasant at first, but normally the smell is minimal and only lasts a few hours. However, in dry conditions with no rain, the smell can hang around for a couple of days.