Learning How To Compost Chicken Litter Correctly

Chicken manure consists of macronutrients nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous, as well as sulfur, magnesium, and calcium, which are vital for plant growth. However, chicken manure also contains high concentrations of bacteria during its raw form, such as the pathogenic salmonella. That implies that you should avoid applying raw chicken litter to your edible garden. Your growing produce might come into contact with the present bacteria, which can either move within the plant’s cells or stick to the surface.

What’s more, your plants might very well die because of excessive available salts and nitrogen, if you use raw, non-composted chicken manure on your plants. The most suitable way you could dispose of the litter is to first compost it before using it correctly and safely. But how do you do it? You can make chicken fertilizer by composting chicken manure

– Gather Materials

Consider bedding material, such as wood shavings and rice hulls, and keep it in a composting bin. You’ll be looking for around 25% manure and 75% other materials, which could include the earlier-mentioned bedding material, kitchen scraps or plant material, lawn clippings and leaves. You should also have a minimum of 1 cubic foot of material to enable the composting procedure to heat the build-up to an internal temperature of approximately 140 to 160 degrees F, which will destroy the pathogenic bacteria. More information: https://fertilizerplantdesigner.com/chicken-poop-compost/

– Add Water

You’ll be aiming to add enough water such that the pile-up would correspond the texture of a wet sponge. Then, leave it.

– Monitor the Temperature

Using a composting thermometer, that you can buy at a home improvement store or online, monitor the temperature daily, and keep a detailed temperature log that you can refer to. Your aim should be achieving a temperature ranging 140 to 160 degrees F and maintain that specific temperature for approximately three days. Keep in mind that the temperature is the key to killing the salmonella, as well as common bacterial pathogens available in chicken litter. If you fail to obtain that temperature, there will be an increase in the likelihood of pathogen survival for a long period.

– Repeat

As the inside part of your pile is treated, the external isn’t. You should, therefore, repeat the entire process a minimum of two more times to ensure all pile parts have been treated.

– Cure

For a minimum of 80 days, put the compost you have in a covered pile. The waiting period assists in making sure that the pathogenic bacteria have been destroyed.

In general, make sure to apply compost as close as you can to planting time and apply it 1/2 inch deep to your particular lawn or around 1 and 2 inches deep to your crops. In case you need your compost thoroughly analyzed for macronutrients, including potassium, phosphorous and nitrogen, and salmonella and E.coli levels, you could collect a sample and give it to a private diagnostic lab.

Producing Compost is an ideal and safe fertilizer for any home garden; when processed correctly. Apart from offering nutrients to your plants, the chicken litter provides organic matter to the soil, enhances the water holding capacity, as well as the useful bacteria available in the soil. However, processing it correctly is paramount.