Fertilizing with chicken manure

Gardenboy · September 22, 2012

My learned my gardening techniques from my grandfather. He would use aged chicken manure and also rabbit manure. I have always used it for years also with great results. My question is? Recently one of the bags of chicken manure was very potent with "ammonia" or urine like smell within the bag. Is this still safe to use as a fertilizer? Does chicken manure over time go bad?? I grow in 15 gallon containers and just wondered if I should use this bag of chicken manure? Any info on this topic would be helpful.

feldon30 · September 22, 2012

I have always heard that poultry manure must be allowed to "age" for at least 3 months before use. That strong smell indicates to me that the manure is too "hot" and you should let it rest for a few months. I don't think manure goes bad, it just composts further.

Rabbit manure can be used immediately.

RayR · September 22, 2012

The ammonia smell would indicate that the manure has gone anaerobic. Bacteria will convert nitrates and ammonium in the manure to ammonia gas if there is no oxygen present. It needs to be composted aerobically or all the Nitrogen in the manure will be lost into the air as ammonia.

Gardenboy · September 22, 2012

Should I discontinue using this bag of manure as side dressing for my tomatoes?

habitat_gardener · September 22, 2012

If it's from your own chickens and you know what's in their feed, ok. But if you're buying manure from industrial poultry operations, you may want to find out about the arsenic-laced feed that most industrial operations use. Arsenic is being found even in rice that was fertilized with chicken manure!
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philp...rsenic-my-rice

RayR · September 22, 2012

Ya, you could still use it as a dressing or scratched into the surface of the soil, exposure to air will promote aerobic digestion and reduce further volatilization of Ammonia. Or just mixing it in the compost pile will do the same thing.

meadowyck · September 23, 2012

habitat gardener said

Quote:

If it's from your own chickens and you know what's in their feed, ok.

yes use it, if from a commerical grower, I would return it to where you purchased it.

September 22, 2012	#1
Gardenboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 784	Fertilizing with chicken manure My learned my gardening techniques from my grandfather. He would use aged chicken manure and also rabbit manure. I have always used it for years also with great results. My question is? Recently one of the bags of chicken manure was very potent with "ammonia" or urine like smell within the bag. Is this still safe to use as a fertilizer? Does chicken manure over time go bad?? I grow in 15 gallon containers and just wondered if I should use this bag of chicken manure? Any info on this topic would be helpful.

September 22, 2012	#2
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I have always heard that poultry manure must be allowed to "age" for at least 3 months before use. That strong smell indicates to me that the manure is too "hot" and you should let it rest for a few months. I don't think manure goes bad, it just composts further. Rabbit manure can be used immediately. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

September 22, 2012	#4
Gardenboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 784	Chicken manure Should I discontinue using this bag of manure as side dressing for my tomatoes?

September 22, 2012	#3
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,466	The ammonia smell would indicate that the manure has gone anaerobic. Bacteria will convert nitrates and ammonium in the manure to ammonia gas if there is no oxygen present. It needs to be composted aerobically or all the Nitrogen in the manure will be lost into the air as ammonia.

September 22, 2012	#5
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	If it's from your own chickens and you know what's in their feed, ok. But if you're buying manure from industrial poultry operations, you may want to find out about the arsenic-laced feed that most industrial operations use. Arsenic is being found even in rice that was fertilized with chicken manure! http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philp...rsenic-my-rice