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Buffalo, New York

I picked up 210 pounds of chicken manure from a Local Egg Farm today. For all those not aware of my situation this year, please refer to my diary. Before I start my early Fall Prep this year. I plan on removing as much of my bad soil (from planting sites) as possible and backfilling with soil from the rest of the patch (1000 sq. ft).

I was told Chicken Manure is VERY high in Nitrogen and stinks (yes this does). My soil test last month showed I was VERY low. Before spreading this stuff out over entire patch and tilling it in in the near future, any advice is appreciated....

7/25/2010 10:02:23 AM

Colorado Springs, CO

Don't put it now....where you want it to be (next spring) used in the active garden area. Age it, cure it, water it, turn and aerate it, in another location or distant corner of the patch. Chicken stuff is one of the most-potent 'manures' and is notorious for burning plants and thwarting seed germination if it is not sufficiently aged and matured before direct amendment and use.

Some say 2 years is appropriate aging. Start that now, maybe by next spring it could be ready, but depends of several factors as mentioned above. Consider adding a good quality of chopped straw as you turn that pile and water it. Put some chunkiness in it for better aeration and drainage. Time and patience aided by the 'smell test' will likely be your best guides.

When you do think it is ready for tilling into the growing patch, do so with yet more time for it to become balanced with that soil and those microbial populations.....then you do the planting or seeding. You can always do 'tests' on other installed plants in the days and weeks BEFORE you install your pumpkins. Observe their reactions, and make the call.

7/25/2010 12:51:57 PM

Anchorage, Alaska

I would spread some with a cover crop of hairy vetch or even red clover. You might do a 50/50 mix of a nitrogen fixing legume with cereal rye or winter wheat to tie up some of the nitrogen. When you till it in next year it will decompose and release it back to the soil.

If you have chickens they will enjoy munching on the hairy vetch during the winter.

7/25/2010 7:52:03 PM

Hobbiton New Zealand

I think the main problem with it is people dont mix it well enough into the soil. I put 5 Ton into 200sq m 2 years in a row and grew successive PB both years. I worked it into the soil to a depth of about 15 inches. This stuff is straight out of a commercial grower shed chickens get taken out one day and manure the same day. Every 6 weeks I think it is.

7/25/2010 9:16:26 PM

Hamburg, NY

Jeremy,

Don't be afraid to use poultry manure. Work in in good now and you will be fine. 200 lbs. is nothing for a garden. I grew up on a poulty farm and have spread thousands on tons of it over the years. We used it to grow the largest pumpkin ever grown in America back in 1983. Recently I used pheasant manure on AG's for years. Working it in is the key and time helps. The benefits of the additional calcium in poultry manure are and added feature. I used a ton and a half last year from Krehers Poultry Farm in Clarence to sidedress face pumpkins. Its great stuff.

Ray Waterman

7/25/2010 10:16:00 PM

Buffalo, New York

I see everyone has different thoughts.

Thanks all.

P.S. yes Ray, this "nasty smelling" stuff is from Krehers.

7/26/2010 4:13:25 PM