Chicken poo.

[southeast-isher]

My friend reads the forum occasionally but works as a gardener full time so at the moment has little time to get on the computer. He's just bought chickens and says they poo in the housing where they nest. Is this right, if not how best can he change things for the better? Thanks.

[southeast-isher]

sorry i've posted this in the wrong section

[fran]

Just add the line .... 'and can this chicken poo be used on the vegetable patch' and it is in the right place!!!

[Ben1971]

Hi Southeast isher

Chickens poo everywhere. However, it is best to not let the chickens poo in the nest box where they lay eggs by discouraging them from sleeping in there at night. You will find piles of poo under where they roost at night. It is easy to clean up from the housing if using wood shavings as bedding etc.

[Millymollymandy]

This recent thread covers the question you've just asked!

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 14&t=18569

[southeast-isher]

thanks, texting some advice on to him. cheers.

[bonniethomas06]

Mine have always done this and I have tried most things to get them to stop.

I have taken to putting straw in there and just taking it out and replacing it most evenings.

I think it is because they sleep in the nesting boxes instead of on the perch. One answer is to block off the nesting boxes at night...but to be honest, I can't really be bothered.

[JulieSherris]

Well, I'd just give them a stern talking to.......

In all seriousness, they should be roost trained & then they won't sleep in the nest boxes anyway.
Mine mostly all sleep on the roosts, but even during the day, they still poo in the nest boxes... on the top of the baby chick box (and the baby chicks heads....) even in the kitchen when they wander in to gaze with awe at the oven....... and anywhere else that you don't want them to....

[southeast-isher]

lol thanks Julie, and is the poo a good fertilizer for veg plants and things in the garden?

[JulieSherris]

Abso-blooming-lutely it is!!

Depending on how it's collected, you can put it straight into the veggie beds, or pop it on the compost heap.
If I have a mass clean-up, I use the compost heap as I have a lot of shavings & straw mixed up in there.
If I just clean under the roost bars, I pop it on my raised beds & dig it in, or pile it high around the base of the fruit trees. Almost as good as liquid gold for the garden!

[southeast-isher]

Haha great thanks a lot. Will pass the good news on.

[Millymollymandy]

Hang on, differing schools of thought. Fresh chook poo can burn plants. I put mine in the compost bin and compost it - really don't fancy weeding amongst a pile of poo anyway!

[Keaniebean]

If you mix a handfull of chicken poo with water then it's great to go straight on the plants as a fertiliser, but neat chicken poo can burn tender plants.

I always stick it in the compost, it helps to decompose it quicker.

[pelmetman]

Not sure if anyone else has encountered this problem. Our old Labrador used to eat chicken poo and became quite poorly. When we took him to the vet he said they have so many problems with dogs becoming ill eating chicken poo. He had to go on quite a long course of tablets and we had to ensure that it was good old dog food for dinner and not chicken poo any more.

[indy]

My Spocker puppy ate goose poo and was violently ill but my vet said to watch him for a day or two for anything else untoward but other than that nothing much he could do except for treat any issues as they came up. Digger is fine now lol