Can I Use Chicken Manure As Fertilizer In My Garden?

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Kassandra Smith

Senior Editor • Backyard Chicken Coops

Last Updated: 21 July 2020

Chicken manure or ‘chicken litter’ is absolutely BRILLIANT to use as fertilizer - even better when you mix it in with a few other goodies like scraps for compost. So, if you're changing the bedding and cleaning the manure out of your coop, don’t throw it in the rubbish - throw it into your compost instead!

‘Chicken litter’ is the name given to chicken manure and hemp bedding (or whatever other bedding material you may use) that is great for fertilizer. All the poop and bedding that you usually rake off the coops floor and throw out is actually nutrient rich gold for your garden, and the perfect ingredient for the best compost.

Chicken litter compost is a favourite of coop keepers who are also avid gardeners! It feeds your garden with a hearty mix of nutrients and minerals, and means that your chooks play another vital role in in the upkeep of their home (aside from egg production, pest control and provider of chicken hugs!).

chicken manure is one of the ingredients to great compost and fertilizer

A great compost usually comprises of the following ingredients:

  • loose soil

  • kitchen scraps

  • chicken litter – manure and bedding

  • ‘green manure’ – leaves that have fallen, old crops, grass clippings

The compost should be well mixed, as this allows the plants to grow easily through the loose soil.

Some of the benefits to using chicken manure compost include:

  • non-toxic ingredients, and that it’s chemical free

  • micro-organisms and worms are essential to a healthy compost as they break down the food waste, chicken litter, leaves etc. The micro-organisms much prefer chicken litter compost because it is non-toxic.

For more information on how to reuse chicken manure in your garden, check out our Sustainability in the Backyard and Why Raising Chickens Is Great for the Environment.

Garden is a great activity for chicken keepers and for your flock. Each season has so many benefits and challenges to consider and overcome. Come rain or shine, something we’ll never be able to control is the weather! This can be a worry and concern when thinking about the safety and comfort of your backyard friends.

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Sources and further reading