Chicken litter?

[split toe]

anybody use this as their fertilizer on plots?

 

[DocHolladay]

Got the local college chicken farm down the road and can't get ahold of anyone to speak with them about it. Wish I could.

 

[Jeff H]

I think it depends on your location. NW Arkansas is full of Tyson farms and I've heard it's easy enough to get. Also believe it's high in Nitrogen so be careful. Lots of green grass in that part of the state! Lot's of algae in the lakes too from the run off so again, be careful.

 

[split toe]

I have access to it for cheap, I just worry about contaminating my ground and was wondering who else uses it on their plots?

 

[John Barnes]

I get a little bit from my mother-in-law, just 6 chickens worth. I use it in the garden not my plots, but I make sure and compost it before using it. Mix it in with my dead leaves and grass clippings, and let it all break down for several months. The garden loves it as I'm getting 3 ears off each sweet corn plant.

 

[dogghr]

From what I've read on these forums... great stuff for building OM. Usually 1-2 tons/ac best spread in late fall. Might ck with Gallow as he has given some good discussion on it and turkey litter. Too bad the old forum let go all their info as it was discussed frequently on there.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I have access to it for cheap, I just worry about contaminating my ground and was wondering who else uses it on their plots?

If you can get it cheap I'd be all over that asap. It's great soil building stuff that is better than fertilizer and won't contaminate your soil.

 

[j-bird]

Found this on the web - seems to be lots of things that can affect the amounts of nutrients you get. In case it's hard to read, this shows the following:
N - ranges from roughly 30 to 60 lbs per total ton (avg 44 lbs)
P - ranges from roughly 40 to 55 lbs per total ton (avg 50 lbs)
K - ranges from roughly 35 to 50 lbs per total ton (avg 39 lbs)

Consider a balanced 12-12-12 fertilizer provides 4.8lbs of each nutrient per 40 lb bag. You would need 10 bags to match or exceed the average from a ton of chicken litter. I'm sure chicken litter isn't $100 a ton either (figured $10/bag @ 10 bags)!

 

[Baker]

Sometimes things just work out perfectly. For a variety of reasons I wasn't able to get litter out this summer. Too wet too busy yadayadayada .Yesterday I was able to get 4 loads delivered and spread then received 2" rain last night. Perfect!

I have learned that what we do this fall has a major bearing on what next years bucks look like.

 

[Smallplot]

Most litter that is delivered will come with a nutrient sheet as it should be tested. Maybe it is something you have to ask for, but the statement about building OM is spot on. There is plenty of OM in the litter plus you get some of the beneficial microbes and such that you do not get with commercial fertilizer.


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[split toe]

Any downside to using it?

 

[Smallplot]

Any downside to using it?

The smell and getting someone to spread it would be the only down side. In my area it is not readily available. We can inject hog manure in this area and have to watch salt levels but I don’t think that is as much a problem with litter because the litter contains so much OM from the bedding.

I will say I used a bagged chicken litter one year on my garden and ended up with a bumper garden crop. Just every time it rained the smell was evident. Not a lot of N in the bag if I remember correctly.


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[FarmerD]

I think the fertilizer value of chicken litter is 3-2-2. Great organic matter and it does smell. A long time ago, there was concern about disease transmission from chickens to wild turkeys, thru the littler, but I think with healthier chicken production that's a lot less of a concern.

https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunt...history/will-disease-decrease-turkey-numbers/