Chickens are for more than just Eggs

When you talk to most people who are planning to get chickens they talk about wanting them so that they can have fresh eggs daily and yes, that is usually the main reason, but there is more to chickens than their eggs…

Poo, yep chook poo!

Chicken poo is very rich versas other poo such as cow or sheep, this is because of the way a chook’s digestive system concentrates waste.

If you are a gardener you probably are aware of the benefits of manure to fertilise the soil, but for those thinking about getting chickens you really can use ALL the things the chicken gives you….

All About Poo

All manure contains nutrients for plant growth – Nitrogen which promotes leaf growth on plants, Phosphorus which promotes plant root development and Potassium for flowering and fruiting. Different manure contains different amounts of each nutrient, for example cow manure is N:P:K (N= nitrogen, P = phosphorus, K = potassium) – 0.6:0.3:0.5 versa chicken poo at N:P:K – 1.6:1.5:0.9 which is why chook poo is so powerful!

Shall I throw the Chook Poo on the Garden?

Your chook poo can be used on the garden but it does need to be composted for 6 weeks before use and then applied sparingly and little and often. By composting we mean mix it with grass clippings, straw and other plant bits this reduces the amount of ammonia in the poo.

The plants that really love chook poo are citrus, leafy vegetables, cabbages, broccoli, sprouts, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and zucchinis. To boost growth apply it in the spring time.

Poo Tea Anyone?

You can make liquid fertilizer for your plants by soaking 1 or 2 cups of composted chook poo in a 9L bucket of water for 30 days. Then sieve and dilute the liquid so that it looks like weak tea and apply to your plants.

This entry was posted in Chickens