From Coop to Compost: Making Chicken Manure Fertiliser The Easy Way

Have you ever wondered if there's a way to do something useful with all of that chicken poop your lovely feathered friends leave for you to clean up every day? Well, there is! You can make high quality chicken manure fertiliser with it.

I know you love your chickens but let's be honest for a minute; your chickens pretty much only do three things every day; eat, sleep, and poop.

Actually that's not totally true. They also play, come to see you, tidy up your garden (or destroy it), eat pests and generally provide you with unlimited affirmation of life all day, every day.

They're pretty special animals really. But man do they poop!

Before I had chickens, I never would have thought that so much stuff could come from so little a creature.

But what to do with such a resource? There must be some use for it somewhere, right?

Turns out there is. Chicken manure fertiliser (or compost), is one of the most highly coveted natural fertilisers out there.

And in this guide, I'm going to teach you exactly how I made mine with one super simple technique.

Enjoy!

What Is Chicken Manure Fertiliser (Compost)?

Chicken manure fertiliser is exactly what it sounds like: a fertiliser made from the manure of chickens.

While you may not be overawed by the lack of glamour; do not be fooled. This simple and natural resource is a powerhouse when it comes to enriching your soil and promoting healthy plant growth.

What Nutrients Are In Chicken Manure Fertiliser?

Chicken manure fertiliser is rich in essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

These nutrients are vital for healthy plant growth, and the organic form in which they are found in chicken manure fertiliser makes them easily absorbed by plants.

Furthermore, studies have found that when chicken manure is properly composted, it can improve soil structure and increase the diversity of beneficial microbes and fungi in the soil. This can help to promote healthy plant growth, reduce erosion, and even prevent soil-borne diseases.

One study published in the Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences found that the application of chicken manure fertiliser increased soil nutrient levels and improved the growth and yield of tomato plants.

What Does Chicken Fertiliser Do To Soil?

Another study published in the African Journal of Agricultural Research found that aside from improving macronutrient availability, poultry manure reduced soil bulk density and enhanced its moisture content.

Why does that matter?

Well, when soil is too compacted (high bulk density) it restricts root growth. Restricted root growth will affect crop yield and make it harder for other vegetative cover to grow which helps protect soil from erosion.

The other major factor is that high bulk density soil affects soil aeration, restricting it, which causes a reduced uptake of water and nutrients.

You've heard of no dig gardening before, haven't you? This is why 👆

How To Make Chicken Manure Fertiliser

I'm sure there are a few ways to make it, but as someone heavily influenced by ancient Taoist teachings and the art of Wu Wei, I like to think mine is the method that takes the least amount of action, or rather, effortless action.

There is a passage in the Tao Te Ching that I like very much, “nature never hurries, yet everything is accomplished.”

You kind of have to buy into that a bit to make chicken manure fertiliser because it takes about a year.

But it's really easy to make.

What Tools & Materials Do You Need To Make Chicken Manure Fertiliser

• Chicken manure
• At least 2 containers that fit inside one another
• Somewhere dry to store it with a bit of moisture in the air, or
• Something to spray light water onto the manure

Step One: Collect Your Manure

It sounds strikingly obvious, I know, but there is one very large consideration here.

Can you collect your chicken manure easily?

Your coop should make it real easy to pile up your manure. I'm lucky, because my Eglu Go Up Chicken Coop has a really handy feature that makes it super easy to collect chicken manure.

You simply open up the back and slide out the droppings tray. I can then scrape that off into my container.

If you have a different coop, you'll need a simple process to collect your droppings.

If you haven't got a coop yet, ready my Omlet Eglu Go Up Chicken Coop Review. I'm sure it'll persuade you it's worth the investment!

Step Two: Place Your Manure Container Inside Your Retaining Container

Once you've poured or shovelled your chicken manure into your container, you simply need to stack it into your retaining container.

The important think to note here is that your manure container (the one on top holding the manure) must have drainage holes.

I'm not exactly sure why the bottom container captured all the bugs & maggots and stuff other than perhaps they just wanted to get out of the manure pile into somewhere with more air; hence why the need for drainage and aeration holes.

The potato towers I used to hold my manure have aeration/drainage holes built in so if your containers don't, you should probably make some.

You can buy the potato towers I use here (or ones very similar) if you want to go down that route.

Step Three: Put Your Manure Somewhere Warm & Dry With Some Moisture

Yes, I know that sounds like a bit of a contradiction! How can you be both dry and moist?

I'll try and explain. I kept my chicken manure in my greenhouse; which is quite warm and dry in the growing season.

Some days, it can even be downright stiflingly hot.

However, the greenhouse does suffer from condensation as the cooler air from outside meets the warmer air from inside at the canopy.

Therefore, some level of dampness and moisture did get into the chicken manure. Occasionally, condensation droplets fell from the canopy into the container so I can only assume the process requires a little moisture every now and then.

You could achieve this by watering very lightly every couple of weeks or so but I think it important not to over-water.

Step Four: Leave Your Manure For A Year

I did tell you in the beginning that nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

Leave your manure containers for a year and let nature take its course.

When you come back to it in a year's time, you'll see that you've created the richest, most nutritious, natural form of chicken manure fertiliser money can buy – and you didn't spend a penny!

Perhaps you could even take to selling it as a side income?

We all know how generating income and earning your own living is going to be useful in the years ahead; so why not give it a try?

Final Thoughts: Making Chicken Manure Fertiliser The Easy Way

I absolutely love it when something I try reaps massive rewards. This is no exception.

Keeping chickens in the city is rewarding enough, but when you combine that with new and unique ways to use all of their by-products, including egg-shells, feathers and manure, it really enriches your soul in ways that modern society has simply forgotten.

There is something innately powerful and fulfilling about respectfully using all resources that your animals produce to produce more.

Nature may never hurry, but she sure gives you more than you need when she's ready.