Lucas Delgado
Chicken manure is a valuable addition to any garden, but it must be composted first. Composting chicken manure can be done in as little as 18 days using the Berkeley hot composting method, which involves heating the compost to 130-150°F (60-72°C) to kill pathogens and weed seeds. The process requires a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 30:1, with carbon sources such as bedding, wood shavings, or straw, and nitrogen from the chicken manure. The ideal compost pile size is 1 cubic yard (3x3x3 feet), and it should be turned and moistened regularly to aid decomposition. Chicken manure is high in nitrogen, so a 1:1 or 2:1 carbon-to-nitrogen ratio may be more suitable.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fastest way to compost chicken manure | Hot composting |
| Time taken | 18 days |
| Method | Berkeley method |
| Temperature | 130-160°F |
| Turning | Yes |
| Moisture | Wet sponge |
| Smell | Loamy |
| Nutrients | Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Sulfur, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Iron |
| Green material | Chicken manure |
| Brown material | Wood shavings, Straw, Sawdust, Hay |
| Ratio | 2:1 or 3:1 |
| Volume | 1 cubic yard |
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What You'll Learn
Hot composting
To hot compost chicken manure, you will need to build a pile of at least 36" all around. The pile should consist of one part manure to one part or more of bedding, such as wood shavings, straw, or rice hulls. The bedding absorbs odours from the manure and helps it decompose quickly. The ideal ratio of litter to manure is 3:1, or 75% litter to 25% manure. The litter should be brown in colour, indicating a higher carbon content, which will make better-quality compost.
The pile should heat up to between 130 and 160° F within 24 to 36 hours. If the temperature drops below 110° F, turn the pile again to reheat it. The compost is mature when it does not reheat after moistening and turning. The inner core temperature should be at least 130° F or up to 150° F, allowing soil bacteria to break down pathogenic bacteria from the manure. Turning and stirring the pile allows air to enter, providing fresh air for the good bacteria to continue working.
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Cold composting
To begin cold composting chicken manure, collect the manure along with bedding such as shavings, sawdust, dry leaves, or straw, which helps control odour and pests. You can either pick up the manure and soiled bedding daily or add new bedding over droppings and collect them less frequently. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is crucial for effective composting. The ideal ratio is 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen, creating the perfect environment for microbes to break down the organic material. Chicken manure is considered a "'green material' due to its high nitrogen content, so ensure you have enough "'brown material' such as wood shavings and straw to balance it out. The smell of ammonia indicates a high nitrogen content, which can be rectified by adding sawdust.
With cold composting, you can continuously add both brown and green materials to your compost pile as it ages. This method takes longer for the compost to mature, and you may need to let it age for at least 6-12 months. Once the compost is ready, you can apply it to your garden or potted plants. It is recommended to use it in conjunction with gardening or potting soil due to its high nutrient content.
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Managing ammonia levels
Chicken manure is an excellent source of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and other nutrients. However, it contains high levels of ammonia, which can be harmful to plants and cause an unpleasant odour. Here are some ways to manage ammonia levels when composting chicken manure:
Use the Right Ratio of Brown to Green Materials
The brown materials include bedding materials such as wood shavings, straw, and other plant debris, while the green material is the chicken manure. A ratio of 2 parts brown to 1 part green is recommended to balance the high nitrogen content in chicken manure. If the compost starts to smell like ammonia, it means there is too much nitrogen, and you should add more brown materials or something carbon-rich like sawdust to balance the C:N ratio.
Hot Composting
Hot composting is a faster method that can break down chicken manure and bedding materials in as little as 18 days. It involves heating the manure and bedding to temperatures between 130°F and 160°F for at least 15 days. At these temperatures, pathogenic organisms like E. coli and Salmonella are destroyed. Turning and moistening the pile helps maintain the temperature and adds oxygen to aid the process.
Cold Composting
Cold composting takes much longer, usually about a year, but it is a simpler process. It involves creating a deep litter bed in the coop or a compost bin, combining the right ratio of carbon and nitrogen-rich materials, and allowing them to break down over time. As the materials decompose, you can add new bedding material to the top.
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Using wood shavings, rice hulls, or similar materials on the floor of the coop can help absorb odours from the manure and aid in decomposition. This method can make manure management easier, especially when combined with regular cleaning of the coop.
Moisture Control
Maintaining the right moisture level in the compost is crucial. The mixture should feel like a wet sponge, and the temperature should be monitored daily. Turning the pile periodically adds oxygen and helps maintain the desired temperature.
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Using chicken coop litter
Chicken manure is a valuable asset to your garden. When properly composted, it can be used as a natural fertilizer, adding nutrients like calcium, sulfur, magnesium, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, zinc, and iron to the soil.
Chicken litter is a mixture of chicken manure and bedding. Bedding, such as wood shavings, sawdust, or straw, is used to provide a dry cushion for chickens and to control odor and pests. The deep litter method involves repeatedly turning over the soiled bedding, then adding a new layer of bedding and allowing the droppings to decompose on the floor of the coop all winter. In the spring, the chicken litter can be cleaned out and put into the compost.
To compost chicken litter, it is recommended to use the hot composting method, which more rapidly breaks down animal bedding and stabilizes nitrogen as organic matter. This method requires about one cubic yard of material. One part manure to one part or more of bedding will yield the best results. Turn and moisten the chicken manure and bedding. This mixture should heat up to 130 to 160° F within 24 to 36 hours. When the temperature drops below 110° F, turn it again to reheat. The compost is mature when it does not reheat after moistening and turning. Ideally, you should not be able to recognize any of the original composting ingredients.
To monitor the temperature of the compost, a compost thermometer can be used. Temperatures exceeding 130° F indicate that the composting organisms are working properly to break down the organic matter. A pitchfork or similar tool is useful for turning the compost.
It is important to maintain uniform moisture throughout the compost pile. The pile should be moist but not dripping wet. Covering the pile with a solid roof or a secured tarp can help achieve this.
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Turning and moistening
Chicken manure is considered a "green material" due to its high nitrogen content. For effective composting, it should be combined with "brown materials" such as wood shavings, straw, or hay. The recommended ratio is two parts brown material to one part green material. This ratio can be determined through a smell test; if the compost starts to stink, there is likely too much green material.
To ensure the compost has the right moisture level, a simple test can be performed. Pick up a handful of the mixture and try to form a ball. It should be moist enough to hold its shape but dry enough to easily break apart when poked with your finger. The mixture should feel like a wet sponge.
The temperature of the compost pile is also important. For hot composting, the pile should reach a temperature of 130-160°F within 24-36 hours. This temperature should be maintained for at least 15 days to ensure the breakdown of pathogenic bacteria. Turning the pile helps to reheat the compost when the temperature drops below 110°F.
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Frequently asked questions
The fastest way to compost chicken manure is through hot composting. This method involves heating the compost pile to 130-160°F (60°C-72°C) for 3 days.
To create a hot compost pile, you need to combine chicken manure with bedding such as wood shavings, straw, or sawdust. The ideal ratio is one part manure to one part bedding. The pile should be approximately one cubic yard and should be moistened with water.
The material in the compost pile should feel like a well-wrung sponge. If it is too dry, simply add more water. If it is too wet, rake it out to dry and then pile it back together.
The compost pile should be turned periodically to add oxygen to the substrates. Turning it at least once a week is recommended.
The compost is mature when it no longer reheats after moistening and turning. It should have a loamy smell, similar to soil, and you should not be able to recognize any of the original composting ingredients.
