How to Use Chicken Manure as Garden Fertilizer

Chicken manure is an excellent organic fertilizer for gardens. It provides nutrients that plants need to grow and thrive.

Using chicken manure in your garden can help improve soil health, stimulate plant growth, increase crop yields, and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.

However, fresh chicken manure is very concentrated and can damage plants if not used properly.

This guide will provide tips on how to effectively use chicken manure as a fertilizer for your home garden.

What Makes Chicken Manure a Good Fertilizer?

Chicken manure contains high levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium—the three macronutrients that plants need most. Here is a breakdown of the typical nutrient content of dried chicken manure:

• Nitrogen: 3-4%
• Phosphorus: 2–3%
• Potassium: 1-2%

Nitrogen promotes lush, green growth and gives plants a healthy appearance. Phosphorus stimulates root development and flowering. Potassium helps plants resist disease and supports vital functions.

Along with macronutrients, chicken manure also provides smaller amounts of secondary nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and sulfur that are essential for plant growth.

The nutrient content does vary based on the chicken’s diet, age, health, etc. But generally, the manure from backyard chickens, broiler chickens, and laying hens all makes decent fertilizer. The manure from younger chickens tends to be richer in nitrogen.

Besides nutrients, chicken manure also provides organic matter that improves soil texture and water retention. The beneficial microbes it contains can enhance biological activity in the soil. This leads to better nutrient cycling and availability for plant uptake.

Gathering and Preparing Chicken Manure

To gather chicken manure for fertilizing, let it accumulate on the floor of the chicken coop for a period of time. Then scoop or sweep it into a bucket or wheelbarrow. Avoid taking manure that is mixed with a lot of bedding material, as this will dilute the nutrient content. Focus on collecting just the droppings.

Chicken manure can be used either in its raw, fresh form or after composting. Composting helps stabilize nutrients and reduces odor and the risk of burning plants. Here are the main options for preparing chicken manure before using it in the garden:

Fresh Chicken Manure

When applying fresh chicken manure, it’s best to focus on heavily feeding fruiting plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. These crops can better tolerate the strong nutrient burst. Go very light when fertilizing leafy greens and herbs, using just a thin layer scratched into the soil.

To minimize burning, wait 2-3 weeks after applying fresh chicken manure before transplanting seedlings. Or, plant seeds first and add the manure afterward. Follow up with heavy watering to dilute the nitrogen concentration at the soil level.

A rule of thumb is to apply fresh chicken manure at a rate of no more than 1 pound (or 1 gallon) per 100 square feet of growing space. This equals a light 1/4-inch layer when scattered evenly. For context, a full 5-gallon bucket of chicken manure can fertilize up to 500 square feet of garden space if used fresh.

When preparing a fresh chicken manure tea, reduce the steeping time to just 24-48 hours. Strain the tea through cheesecloth or burlap to remove solids before applying. Spray plants lightly rather than soaking the soil to prevent burning.

Aged Chicken Manure

Aged chicken manure is ideal for vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes that prefer lower nitrogen levels. The mellowed manure releases nutrients more slowly to support steady growth.

When preparing aged chicken manure, store it in a covered plastic or metal trash can out of the rain. Turning the pile occasionally will introduce oxygen and speed the aging process. Aim for a carbon-rich mix by adding fallen leaves, straw, or sawdust as you accumulate manure.

Compared to fresh manure, aged chicken manure can be applied more liberally at a rate of 2-3 pounds (or gallons) per 100 square feet before planting crops. This equals a 1/2- to 3/4-inch layer when applied over the garden bed.

For an extra nutrition boost, brew some aged chicken manure into tea. Let it steep for 5-7 days and dilute at a 5:1 ratio before foliar feeding plants. The longer extraction leaches out more micronutrients.

Because its nitrogen has mellowed, aged chicken manure poses far less risk of burning plants. It can be safely worked into the soil for 2-4 weeks before sowing seeds or transplanting delicate seedlings.

Composted Chicken Manure

Composting chicken manure allows for precise control over the finished product. For a balanced compost, mix 3 parts carbon (leaves, straw, and paper) with 1 part fresh chicken manure by volume. Turning the pile weekly will accelerate composting to around 6–8 weeks total.

Test compost readiness by placing a small handful in a sealable plastic bag overnight. If no strong ammonia odor is detectable in the morning, the compost is ready to use. Mature compost will be crumbly with an earthy smell.

Composted chicken manure is very gentle on plants. It can be worked liberally into garden beds 1-2 weeks before planting any crops, including delicate seedlings. A finished compost application rate of 4-6 pounds (or gallons) per 100 square feet is suitable for most vegetables and flowers.

Liquid fertilizer can be brewed using finished chicken manure compost rather than fresh manure. Let it steep for 7–10 days before diluting the finished tea at a 10:1 ratio. The longer extraction and higher dilution rate prevent burning.

Chicken Manure Tea

The ideal container for brewing chicken manure tea is a 5-gallon bucket or similar non-reactive vessel. This allows enough fertilizer to treat a sizable garden area. Use unchlorinated water if possible for optimal microbial activity.

Stir the manure and water daily during steeping to distribute nutrients. Avoid compressing the manure, as oxygen is needed for the brewing process. Cover loosely to prevent contamination, but allow air exchange.

For foliar feeding, dilute the fresh chicken manure tea at a 20:1 ratio with water to avoid burning leaves. Compost tea can be diluted at 10:1 due to the mellower nutrient levels. Spray in the mornings or evenings to prevent leaf scorching.

Time applications to the growth stage of each crop. Foliar feed nitrogen-hungry plants like corn and brassicas just before their period of peak nutrient demand for optimal effect.

Chicken manure tea works wonderfully as a fertilizer booster for transplants. Lightly water seedlings with diluted tea 2-3 times per week after transplanting to stimulate rapid establishment.

No matter how you choose to prepare it, make sure chicken manure does not contain any harmful medications or other chemicals before using it. Keep it away from edible plant parts. And always wash your hands after handling.

Using Chicken Manure in the Garden

When applying chicken manure in the garden, proper timing is crucial. The optimal windows are either in the fall before planting cover crops or in the early spring before the start of the growing season, similar to the time of composting. Fall allows time for the chicken manure to mellow out over the winter months. Spring gives the fertilizer a chance to integrate into the soil before summer crops go in. Avoid summer applications, as the heat can accelerate nitrogen loss from fresh chicken manure.

Focus chicken manure around heavy-feeding plants with high nutrient demands like tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, squash, melons, and corn. These vegetables will derive the most benefit from the nutrient boost. For flowers and herbs, moderate amounts are sufficient to fuel blooms and growth without overdoing it. Go lightly when fertilizing legumes like peas and beans that produce their own nitrogen.

When preparing a chicken manure tea, aim for a ratio of 1 part manure to 10 parts water. Steep for 2–3 days and strain before using to remove solid chunks. Spray the diluted tea onto leaves and soils surrounding plants. Liquid fertilizing allows rapid nutrient absorption and response from the crops. But don’t overdo foliar feeds, as they may burn leaves if they are too strong.

No matter how you apply it, always be diligent about washing your hands after handling chicken manure. Its high bacterial load poses a significant risk of human illness if accidentally ingested. Keep any raw manure from contacting edible fruits and vegetables directly. With proper care, chicken manure can be a brown gold mine for your garden!

Benefits of Using Chicken Manure

Along with macro- and micronutrients, chicken manure supplies an array of organic compounds like humic acid that stimulate overall soil and plant health.[1] The humic substances help retain moisture and loosely bind nutrients until plant roots need them. This gives chicken manure an advantage over commercial chemical fertilizers that easily leach away.

Another unique benefit of chicken manure is improving soil structure. The organic matter contributes to the formation of stable soil aggregates. This creates a loose, crumbly texture that allows air and water infiltration. Chicken manure also feeds soil microbes and beneficial fungi like mycorrhizae. These organisms expand the effective root zone and aid in accessing more soil nutrients.

The slow release of nitrogen from chicken manure leads to steady growth and reduced lodging in grain crops. Vegetables and fruits fertilized with chicken manure tend to have better flavor compared to crops fed only with synthetic fertilizer. Due to the diversity of micronutrients it contains, chicken manure may boost plant resilience against pests and diseases.

Overall, the balanced nutrition, soil conditioning, and microbial activity induced by chicken manure make it superior to single-ingredient chemical fertilizers. Harnessing this natural fertilizer is economically and environmentally prudent for any gardener.

Using chicken manure in the home garden is an age-old practice that remains highly effective and sustainable today. Follow the tips in this guide to safely maximize the benefits of chicken manure fertilizer for your plants. Monitor your soil and plants closely, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

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