How hot is chicken poop?

[Pheonix]

I let my chickens out in my garden each day and they eat and poop all over. I know that poop needs to be composted to be safe for the plants. Will the daily poop kill my plants?

 

[DutchieWannabe]

I am not sure the actual *degrees* of their poop. but so far the poop from my chickies have not killed the grass or my garden (as i daily spray the patio clean into yard and garden cause the poo attracts lots of flies and my son's feet!) I do compost poop from the coop before adding it to the soil. i think if it is a lot and concetrated in one area it mught be too much for plants to handle but the "natural droppings" as in where they naturally drop is spread out enough to not harm ur garden/lawn..... though i only have 4, more chickens might make a difference.

 

[woodmort]

No, it is only dangerous if you put a deep amount on the garden. I cover my garden in the spring when I clean the coop and till it under--haven't had any problems. BTW "hot" refers to the high nitrogen content, not the temperature. Some crops actually prefer it to be "hot"--not tomatoes though.

 

[shesaredroan]

Quote:
Think of your chickens as little mobile fertilizers. They are doing the spreading for you. Your garden and yard will be happier due to your girls' wandering about.
Now when it comes to cleaning out the coop, that's when I dump the wheelbarrow into the compost pile or onto the sleeping garden........depends on time of year.
Aren't chickens wonderful!!! They entertain us, they eat grasshoppers ( et al ), they give us eggs AND they give us homemade fertilizer!!!!

 

[33yardbirds]

I can tell you how hot it is. This is a true story. A friend of my Mom's put it on her pipes thinking it would keep them from freezing. I don't know if it worked. I can ask her 'cause she is still alive and is one of my customers for eggs.......not poop.

 

[Pheonix]

ok, yeah, I knew it wasn't for temp, even though it does heat up when it composts, but I've always hear of i as "hot" and that it will "burn" your plants. Thanks for the relief that I don't have to worry about letting them out. Next year I'll have planter boxes so it won't be that bad, but this year they are hiding under the tomatoes.

Thanks