It is known that chicken manure as a fertilizer is a valuable organic and concentrated compound. It contains all the elements necessary for soil and plant nutrition. At the same time, in the ground they turn into an easily digestible form and are able to accumulate nitrogen. Let’s talk about all the properties of chicken fertilizer, as well as how to use it, right now.
Properties of chicken manure
Chicken manure is a universal and very valuable fertilizer for almost all types of vegetable and garden crops. Thanks to its special composition, it can be used both in dry and liquid form. Moreover, chicken manure affects the crop in the same way as commercial mineral fertilizers. And when properly prepared, there is much more nitrogen in organic light form.
If we compare the composition of all available and known natural fertilizers, chicken manure occupies a leading position. It also surpasses valuable cow manure in assimilation and preservation of nutrients in the soil.
Chicken droppings have a very rich chemical composition. It contains trace elements such as zinc, potassium, cobalt, magnesium, and sulfur. In addition, it contains sulfides, phenols, vitamins and acids. However, chicken manure received its greatest value as a fertilizer thanks to organic phosphorus compounds. It does not release phosphates into the soil and is completely absorbed by plants over time.
What are the main properties of manure?
- Fresh chicken manure does not have a strong odor, since the composition does not contain ammonia compounds;
- It does not cake and increases its effect over time in the soil. Even a one-time fertilizing with this fertilizer will help preserve the nutritional value of the soil for 2-3 years;
- Improves soil quality, suitable for all types of soil;
- Restores soil microflora, helps fight weeds, optimizes acidity;
- It does not burn the root system and is easily used for composting and as an aqueous infusion.
How to make fertilizer from manure?
So, you have chickens, which means you have manure. But this is not enough to get a good harvest, because it is important not only to collect, but also to properly prepare the litter. Simply taking fresh manure from the chicken coop and spreading or infusing it is not very recommended. In this form, it dries quickly and is not absorbed into the ground. Therefore, before fertilizing with chicken droppings, you need to be able to prepare useful and valuable fertilizer from fresh manure.
First of all, to prepare the fertilizer, the manure should be collected together with the bedding. That is, we clean the chicken coop completely, removing the entire layer. First, for storage, you need to build a special box or dig a compost pit. However, it is important to remember that chicken manure has only short-term value as fertilizer. Moisture evaporates from it very quickly, it dries out and after about 1.5-2 months more than half of the useful nitrogen is gone.
Therefore, if fertilizer is not to be fertilized soon, then it is best to immediately dry or compost the manure. As experts say, it is ideal to make it on a peat basis. However, on an ordinary loose heap, but mixed with cow or rabbit manure, it will also “cook.” Chicken manure can be stored in a compost pit or in combination with other organic fertilizer for up to six months.
How is litter useful or harmful?
So, despite all its usefulness, chicken feed must also be used correctly. Moreover, for different plants it is different and in different forms. Let's say right away that most garden and vegetable crops cannot cope with a large number of useful compounds. Therefore, an excess of substances can play a cruel joke, damage the roots or burn the stems.
Chicken manure is suitable for all plants, but each of them requires its own approach and proper fertilization.
Fresh droppings cannot be poured as fertilizer under low-growing small plants. This method is only suitable for feeding trees and shrubs. For garden crops, manure must first be diluted with water according to the recipe, infused and only in this form poured into the hilled holes. Strawberries and all berries, tomatoes, herbs, and peppers need to be fertilized several months before planting, adding manure to the loose soil. This will help nourish the soil, but without the danger that pathogenic microorganisms will get onto the plants from the fertilizing.
Experts also advise not to overdo it with such fertilizer for young plants. To do this, it is best to produce a complex soil drink every few years. This is because nitrogen in the soil often inhibits plant growth due to the buildup of uric acid. An overdose can provoke the accumulation of nitrates in fruits. To feed potatoes, you need to add potassium chloride to the soil as a supplement.
Application in practice
Today the following traditional ways of using chicken manure are known:
- in its pure form;
- mixed with peat, husks, chaff, slag, etc.;
- in the form of compost;
- water infusion as an additional fertilizing during watering.
Dry droppings
Dry chicken manure is in demand because it is easy to store and then use. It is best to apply this fertilizer in this form in the fall, after harvesting. Over the winter, processing will occur in moist soil and all elements will be completely absorbed into the soil. During the main processing, it should be applied at the rate of 400-700 grams per cubic meter. For seedlings, pour 20-30 grams in crushed form into a hole, for berry plants - 200-400 grams per 1 meter of soil.
Infusion
An infusion of dung is an ideal fertilizer for vegetables, which we collect several times during the season. That is, it is good to feed cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, etc. First, the infusion must be specially prepared, fermented in a barrel, and then, if necessary, further diluted in water. It is very simple and quick to prepare. It should be applied not under the plants, but between the rows.
To do this, you can take dry chicken manure at the rate of 500 grams per 10 liters of water and leave it in a barrel for about 3-5 days. If you are bothered by a strong smell, you can cover the container with thick film or a lid. After obtaining a dark-colored solution, it must be further diluted in water in a ratio of 1/10. To prepare this infusion, you can also use fresh droppings. If concentrated nitrogen fertilizing is needed as a fertilizer, then you can not infuse the mixture from the poultry house, but immediately water the plants with the solution.
Compost
This method of preparing fertilizers is most suitable for gardeners who do not constantly keep poultry and have a small supply of droppings. For composting, in addition to manure, you will need sawdust or straw, and peat. It only needs to be applied in the fall. In spring it is allowed only on sandy soils.
- Dig and specially prepare a compost pit. You can also use any suitable container for this, for example, a wooden box.
- Place peat on the bottom and then a layer of sawdust.
- Now spread the chicken manure in layers, mixing with straw or sawdust.
- You can throw it into a pile of worms so that better processing occurs, or you can just wait 1-2 months. The fertilizer is sprayed, fermented and prepared naturally.
Every farmer tries to care for the harvest; for this, various fertilizers and fertilizing are used. Chicken manure is considered the most affordable remedy, because many villagers raise this bird at home.
Due to the fact that chicken manure fertilizer is incredibly useful for the garden, every gardener should know how to prepare the infusion to get a good harvest.
Benefits and composition of litter
Chicken manure is considered the most popular among other food processing products by birds and animals in terms of the amount of nitrogen, without which plants will not develop or grow.
It contains many useful minerals, the amount of which is 3 times greater than in cow and horse manure. Preparing an infusion from chicken manure and fertilizing plants with it ensures good soil fertility for two years.
Chicken manure is used in dry, liquid, granular forms, it all depends on the soil and variety of crops. After the first application to the ground, results will be visible within a few weeks. Plants will begin to develop numerous ovaries, and the growth process will increase significantly.
Using chicken manure infusion
To achieve maximum results, you need to know how to prepare an infusion of chicken manure with specific application features. It is not recommended to use dry chicken manure in large quantities. This feature is that the plant can get burned, especially at high temperatures above zero.
In addition, in its pure form, this fertilizer is capable of accumulating large amounts of nitrates in plants. It is necessary to dry chicken feces in the fresh air with the addition of peat, because during the evaporation process, chicken manure releases more ammonia.
Every gardener should know how to prepare an infusion of chicken manure, because the fertility and health of the future harvest depend on the correct consistency.
For potatoes
Infusion of chicken manure - how to prepare for potatoes:
Compound
- chicken manure – 3 kg;
- potassium chloride – 100 g;
- water – 4 l.
Preparation
- Place the droppings in a barrel.
- To fill with water.
- Add hay.
- Infuse for 4 days in a closed barrel, stirring the infusion periodically.
- Add potassium.
- Dilute the infusion with water in a 1:1 ratio.
- Water the area where planting will take place.
- Fill the soil with infusion in a ratio of 1 liter per 1 square meter.
Preparation of infusions from chicken manure
Feeding with infusion of chicken manure is becoming increasingly popular among farmers. After all, the product is quickly absorbed into the soil, thereby enriching it with nitrogen. The results of feeding are visible within a few weeks.
How to infuse chicken manure for feeding
Compound
- 3 kg litter;
- 3 buckets of water.
Preparation
- Place the manure in a deep container.
- To fill with water.
- To stir thoroughly.
- Leave for 3 days.
- Before use, dilute with water.
Infusion with a minimal amount of acid
Compound
- 1 bucket of manure;
- 2 buckets of water for soaking;
- 2 buckets of water for infusion.
Preparation
- Fill the manure with water.
- Leave for 2 days.
- Drain the water.
- Refill the droppings with clean water.
- Leave for 3 days.
- The infusion can be used to feed and fertilize the roots of plants.
Precautions when preparing infusions
In order to avoid the negative impact of the chemical elements of manure on the human body and plants, you need to know how long to infuse chicken manure and how to prepare it correctly.
Chicken feces contain a large amount of helminths, ammonia, and methane, so all manipulations with this product should be carried out in a protective suit and gloves.
The preparation of infusions should be carried out wearing a protective mask, because chicken manure contains many pathogenic microorganisms that have a detrimental effect on human health.
It is necessary to use a small amount of infusion or in a weakly concentrated form for fertilizing and feeding plants. A large amount of minerals can burn and weaken the development of the plant.
Methods for preparing infusions
How to infuse chicken manure for feeding in the fall
Compound
- rotted manure – 2 kg;
- hay – 0.5 kg;
- water – 4 l.
Preparation
- Mix manure with hay.
- To fill with water.
- Leave for 2 days.
- Apply to plowed soil at the rate of 1 kg per 1 square meter.
Not concentrated infusion
Compound
- dry manure – 1 kg;
- 4 liters of water.
Preparation
- Place the droppings in the barrel.
- To fill with water.
- Leave for 4 days.
- Water the soil thoroughly.
- Fertilize at the rate of: 0.5 liters of infusion per 1 plant.
- The infusion should not get on the plant itself.
Infusion for fertilizer, feeding
Compound
- 2 kg of dry litter;
- 2 liters of water.
Preparation
- Mix the litter with water in a deep container.
- Mix thoroughly until smooth.
- Infuse in a closed container in a warm place.
- The infusion process does not exceed three days.
- Before feeding, dilute the infusion with water 1:10.
- Apply into the rows using a watering can.
- After fertilizing, water the plants with clean water.
For which plants is it better to use chicken manure?
Any experienced farmer will tell you how to infuse chicken manure for fertilizer. In addition to the cooking process, you need to know which plants are suitable for feeding with chicken manure:
- White cabbage. Use 1 liter of infusion per 1 plant.
- Tomatoes, plants of the pumpkin family. Use 5 liters per 1 square meter.
- Roots. Apply 3-4 kg per 1 square meter.
- Garlic, onion. For feeding you will need only 1 liter of fertilizer per 1 square meter.
- For green crops, use fertilizer only in the fall before planting at the rate of 2 kg of infusion per 1 square meter.
- For potatoes, you need to use only bedding manure, without any fertilizers.
- Strawberries must be fertilized 3 months before planting and every 3 years after the snow melts.
Fertilizer with infusion of chicken manure
How to infuse chicken manure for light soil:
Compound
- dry litter - 1 kg;
- water – 10 l.
Preparation
- Fill the manure with water.
- Leave for 3 days.
- Apply into dug up soil.
- Pre-water the area with water.
Infusion for feeding strawberries
Compound
- 1 kg of fresh manure;
- 20 liters of water.
Preparation
- Place manure in a barrel.
- To fill with water.
- Infuse in an open barrel for 10 days.
- Water the infusion between the strawberry rows.
- Watering should be done after rain or after the area has been previously watered.
Infusion of chicken manure for fertilizing tomatoes
Compound
- 1 kg of fresh litter;
- 20 liters of water.
Preparation
- Fill the droppings with water.
- To stir thoroughly.
- Leave for 3 hours.
- Pour into a watering can.
- Water at the rate of 10 liters of infusion per 24 plants.
- After the soil dries, loosen the soil.
- Be sure to water the tomatoes before fertilizing.
- Fertilize once a month.
The recipe for preparing chicken manure infusion for tomato seedlings is as follows:
Compound
- 1 kg of dry litter;
- 10 liters of water.
Preparation
- Fill the manure with water.
- Mix well.
- Leave for 1 hour.
- Prepare holes for planting tomatoes.
- Add water.
- Apply the infusion at the rate of 1.5 buckets per 24 plants.
Chicken manure is especially effective for feeding cucumbers. If you know how to properly infuse chicken manure, you will be incredibly pleased with your cucumber harvest.
Compound
- 2 kg of dry litter;
- 10 liters of water.
Preparation
- Pour manure into a deep container.
- To fill with water.
- Leave for 2 weeks.
- Water the garden bed thoroughly.
- Add another 10 liters of water to the infusion.
- Mix well.
- Using a watering can, water the cucumbers.
- When watering, you need to make sure that the infusion does not get on the plant.
- If infusion gets on the cucumbers, it can be washed off with clean water.
Infusion for constant watering of cucumbers
Compound
- 0.5 kg of fresh manure;
- 10 liters of water.
Preparation
- Mix water with manure in a deep container.
- Stir until a homogeneous mass is formed.
- Leave for 1 day.
- Water the cucumbers using a watering can.
- After feeding, be sure to fill the plant with regular clean water.
Pay special attention to the leaves; if there is any infusion left on them, be sure to wash it off.
Infusions for feeding and fertilizers made from chicken manure are considered very effective. If you know how to make an infusion from chicken manure and use it correctly, you will be able to harvest a good, healthy, tasty harvest that will be the envy of your neighbors.
Before you start preparing infusions, you should learn about precautions, because manure is a strong poison, so all manipulations must be carried out in a protective suit. Watering plants should be done with a non-concentrated infusion, so as not to harm the harvest.
Chicken manure can be called one of the most affordable fertilizers for summer residents. After all, city dwellers do not keep cows in their country houses. As for chickens, many people raise them in their dachas. Meanwhile, their manure is superior in nutritional value even to cow manure.
It is also worth using as a fertilizer because it contains a sufficient amount of phosphorus and nitrogen. When this type of manure is applied to the ground, these substances are completely absorbed by plants. After all, chicken manure is an organic fertilizer, which means, unlike mineral fertilizer, it is “living.” Phosphorus, which is part of it, does not form any compounds with soil components.
It is also good to use chicken manure as a fertilizer because it contains useful substances such as boron, zinc, copper, cobalt, etc. It also contains bioactive components auxins, which help accelerate plant growth. Such manure is used both in dry and diluted form. Both methods are quite effective.
So, let's take a closer look at how to use chicken manure. Many summer residents advise feeding their plants three times a season. In the spring, at the beginning of the growing season, that is, in May-June, in the summer during the flowering of vegetable and fruit crops and during active fruiting, in order to maintain its intensity.
Chicken manure must be used correctly as fertilizer. Most often, mash is made from it. To do this, fill the barrel a third, and then add water. The resulting mixture should stand for about 2-4 days. At the same time, it needs to be stirred constantly. To speed up decomposition, you can add a special preparation “Tamir” or “Baikal M”. (1 tbsp per bucket of water). After the fertilizer is ready, it is diluted 1 x 3 or 1 x 4 with water and applied to the beds at the rate of one and a half liters per square meter.
Many summer residents have repeatedly noted that a week or two after applying the manure, the plants begin to rapidly develop and bear fruit. That is, it simply gives them a colossal impetus to growth. So chicken manure as a fertilizer is certainly useful, and it is certainly worth using it in this capacity, if possible. Literally all plants nourished by it become powerful, strong, beautiful and healthy in appearance. With such care, the harvest will be plentiful, and the fruits themselves will be tasty and healthy.
Some summer residents also use chicken manure in dry form. This method is more universal and easier to implement. Let's look at how to fertilize a garden with chicken droppings without soaking it. This method is used at the end or beginning of the season. The litter can be used either whole or crushed. All you need to do is add it to the soil for digging. In this case, the amount of manure is calculated so that it is approximately 500 g per square meter.
Chicken manure as a fertilizer is nutritious, contains a huge amount of useful substances and microelements, is easily absorbed by plants, is accessible and easy to use. Although this type of manure is inferior in some respects to horse and cow manure, it is extremely beneficial for plants.
Many gardeners want to learn more about chicken manure, how to use it, and what plants to use it for. This is understandable, because this supplement is affordable. There is poultry in almost every country private yard and country house, so obtaining and using chicken manure is not difficult.
Composition of chicken manure
What is included in bird droppings? Its components are organic and inorganic compounds: water, ammonia, ammonium, copper, potassium, zinc, calcium phosphorus, manganese, proteins, amino acids, peptides, glycerols, lipids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, alcohols, volatile acids , sulfur. It is worth considering that the chemical structure of poultry droppings largely depends on the conditions in which the chicken was kept.
Chicken droppings - pros and cons
It is commonly practiced to use chicken manure in the spring to feed plants. To achieve high plant productivity results, you should know the rules of how to use poultry manure. Feeding has its pros and cons. Among the first, the following factors can be noted:
- improving soil quality;
- high productivity;
- plant resistance against wireworm.
At the same time, you should know that if this fertilizer is processed incorrectly, the summer resident may lose some of the planted crops. Fertilizer should be applied and administered in moderation. Its excess content in the soil will lead to a slowdown in the growth rate of the underground part of the plants (while the above-ground part will grow very quickly). Such uneven development can only give the summer resident tops. Taking into account the vulnerability of poultry to infection with worms, there is a risk of salmonellosis.
What can be fertilized with chicken manure?
Experienced summer residents can tell newbie gardeners what chicken manure is as a fertilizer, how to use this fertilizer in the spring, and what plants it is suitable for. The fact is that such feeding is not universal, and some cultures may not like it at all. For example, it should be used carefully, because in large quantities fertilizer can make the fruits of the vegetable dense and stringy.
Bird manure has a positive effect on the growth and productivity of nightshade plants - and others. It is advisable to use this fertilizer for these crops in the spring. Chicken manure gives good growth to melon crops - cabbage, cucumbers, strawberries, and if you use this fertilizer for onions and garlic, this will subsequently have a beneficial effect on the quality of the fruit.
There are different ways to use chicken manure to feed plants. Beginners should know that fresh, dry and granular versions of this fertilizer can be used for these purposes. If it is available fresh, it should be given the opportunity to rot and then used. Using fertilizer in dry form will cause less trouble for the dacha owner; the granular version has a long shelf life, because the product is obtained as a result of industrial processing. When comparing types of litter, it is ultimately advantageous to use the granulated version.
How to use chicken manure to fertilize vegetables
It is advisable to apply dry poultry manure to garden crops in a volume not exceeding 50 g per 1 sq. m. m. It is even better to use fertilizer in liquid form. Preparing fertilizing will not take much time and effort. If the solution is made from dry manure, then much more water will be required than to dilute fresh manure. It is not recommended to store the prepared mixture for more than two days. Feeding vegetables with chicken manure is applied under the plants, 1 bucket per 1 square meter. m.
How to fertilize trees with chicken droppings?
Feeding trees with chicken droppings is done in different ways. For these purposes, the fertilizer can be used in the form of an infusion, stock or secondary solution as follows:
- To prepare an infusion of fresh chicken manure, 1 bucket of it is added to a barrel and diluted with 10 buckets of water. After stirring, leave to brew for 24 hours. Pour the infusion into the tree trunk circle. One bucket is enough for a tree, and if seedlings are processed, then the introduced volume should be reduced to 1/3 of a bucket.
- A stock solution of fresh droppings is obtained by diluting the fertilizer with water in a ratio of 1 to 2. You need to mix the mass thoroughly and leave for 3-4 days, then treat furrows 2-3 m long on different sides of the tree.
- A secondary fertilizer solution is prepared from organic matter that has undergone a fermentation process. For every sq.m. Apply one bucket of solution to the treated area under the tree.
Chicken droppings for flowers
Chicken manure as a fertilizer is used not only in the garden. It can also be used as a fertilizer for indoor flowers. For these purposes, litter in granules is used. After pre-soaking the fertilizer in water, you should water the plant with it, or you can simply put the fertilizer undiluted in the pot at the time of planting. The growth rate of roses will noticeably improve if they are fertilized with chicken droppings.
Using chicken manure as fertilizer
In order to feed potatoes, this fertilizer is best used in the spring, before the planting process, the same applies to carrots. Feeding currants with chicken droppings is of a slightly different nature. It is not fertilized in the first year after planting - chicken manure should be applied for the first time in the spring. The procedure is completed a year later during the same period. It is recommended to use nitrogen fertilizer along with humus.
How to infuse chicken manure for feeding?
Those who want to know how to properly prepare an infusion of chicken manure should use the following sequence of actions (the proportions are taken for processing potatoes. For feeding other plants, they may differ up or down):
- Place 3 kg of fertilizer in a barrel and fill it with 4 liters of water.
- Add hay.
- Leave the mixture for 4 days. Periodic stirring of the mass is necessary.
- After 4 days, add 100 g of potassium chloride, and then dilute the infusion with water in a 1:1 ratio.
- We water the treated area at the rate of 1 liter per 1 sq. m.
It's easy to prepare the fertilizer. The main rule here: this procedure is carried out immediately before applying fertilizer to the soil. You should also know the proportions of chicken manure for feeding - 20 parts of water are taken for one part of poultry manure; approximately 1 liter of ready-made fertilizer should be poured onto one bush. If young crops are fertilized, the proportions should be halved. To obtain a thick concentrate, the ratio of litter to water will be 1:1. The mixture is infused for a week, and before application to the soil, 1 liter is diluted in 10 liters of water. It is good to apply between rows without watering the beds with it.
How to apply chicken manure to the soil?
Beginners should know not only what chicken manure is as a fertilizer and how to use it, but also be aware of all the intricacies of each stage of its use. One of the important actions when feeding plants is introducing chicken manure into the soil. This also needs to be done correctly, otherwise all efforts will be in vain, and the summer resident will not get the desired results. The basic rules for applying fertilizer are:
- Fruit trees are fertilized by adding a small volume of diluted droppings to the soil; this should be done before planting in the hole. At other times, you can simply sprinkle dry chicken fertilizer nearby. Do not worry that the fertilizing is not diluted with water - it will receive the moisture necessary to penetrate the soil during periods of rain or watering the garden.
- When applying fertilizer to tomato crops, 6 to 8 kilograms of fresh manure are consumed per 1 square meter. m. Then the garden is watered.
- To feed strawberries, it is recommended to scatter dry droppings between the rows. This procedure is carried out in the fall. Subsequently, during the winter season, the earth will absorb all the useful substances, and the strawberry rhizomes will be safe. Fertilizer is used in the same way for raspberries, but it is important to ensure that the fertilizer does not get on the roots.