Chicken manure

A chicken manure sample being collected for a nutrient analysis
A poultryman in 1943 on a Hampshire County farm in England moves a poultry fold into line with the others in the field. Each of these chicken sheds contains 25 birds and are moved their length every day, providing fresh ground for the hens to feed on and also ensuring that the chicken manure is spread across the whole field.
A manure car for the transport of chicken manure at a chicken house in Dolores, Colorado
Chicken sheds at Balado Airfield, Scotland. Poultry sheds like this are common in the Kinross area of Scotland. Manure from the sheds is now collected for use as fuel in a biomass-burning power station at Westfield in Fife.

Chicken manure is the feces of chickens used as an organic fertilizer, especially for soil low in nitrogen.[1] Of all animal manures, it has the highest amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.[2] Chicken manure is sometimes pelletized for use as a fertilizer, and this product may have additional phosphorus, potassium or nitrogen added.[3] Optimal storage conditions for chicken manure include keeping it in a covered area and retaining its liquid, because a significant amount of nitrogen exists in the urine.[4]

Fresh chicken manure contains 0.5%[5] to 0.9% nitrogen,[6] 0.4%[4] to 0.5% phosphorus,[5] and 1.2% to 1.7% potassium.[5] One chicken produces approximately 8 to 11 pounds (3.6 to 5.0 kg) of manure monthly.[6] Chicken manure can be used to create homemade plant fertilizer.[6]

  1. ^ Telkamp, Mick. "The Straight Poop On Using Chicken Manure as Fertilizer". Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  2. ^ Deborah L. Martin; Grace Gershuny, eds. (1992). The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener (revised ed.). Rodale. p. 126. ISBN 9780878579914.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Barrett was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Pullin & Shehadeh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Ecochem was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Foreman & Long was invoked but never defined (see the help page).