How to Dispose of Chicken Manure
Whether you have a small backyard flock or a farm full of chickens, you definitely have chicken manure and you need a way to get rid of it. There are two proper ways to dispose of chicken manure: composting and burning. Composting is ideal if you like to keep a garden and have a small number of chickens. Burning works well if you have way too much manure to compost, or if you do not keep a garden.
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Things You'll Need
- Used chicken bedding with manure
- Pitchfork
- Compost bin or area for drying manure
Instructions
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Composting Chicken Manure
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1
Clean out the used bedding from the chicken coop, using a pitchfork.
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2
Move the used chicken bedding to a compost bin.
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3
Add water to the bin until the compost is moist.
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4
Turn the compost with a pitchfork every two weeks.
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Compost should be ready to be tilled into the garden soil within six to nine months, but can wait as long as 12 months.
Burning Chicken Manure
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Check with your local code enforcement department to make sure it is acceptable to burn manure in your area.
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Designate a specific area of the yard to be used for burning the chicken manure. Choose a location downwind from your and your neighbors' homes.
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Collect the chicken manure regularly, using a pitchfork.
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Burn the chicken manure. Start the fire with matches or any fire source. The drier the chicken manure and used bedding, the easier it will burn. Take precautions with fire as you would with any fire.
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Tips & Warnings
Composted chicken manure used as fertilizer will help vegetables grow bigger and healthier.
When the compost is ready to go into the garden, it will be dark, crumbly and sweet smelling.
Never put fresh chicken manure in a garden. The concentration of nitrogen is too high and could burn and kill the plants. It should be composted for six to nine months before going into the garden.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
