Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[knowlesy]

started collecting my chicken poo but i was putting it in a box that i could seal and now there are maggots in there is there a better way to collect and store it as i really want to use it on my garden ( i dont yet have a compost bin ) info from any1 would be great thanks

thanks x x

[The Dogmother]

I'd feed the maggots to the chickens and leave it in there until you're ready to bung it on a compost.

[Tricky]

I heard that you can put some in a stocking, leave it in a bucket of water for a week and then use the water on your plants

Natural liquid plant food

[jennydavies]

Every morning I collect the "clean" poo from the hen-house. I put it in a bucket that stands in the corner of the veg garden. Once a week I fill the five litre bucket of poo with water and give it a good stir. I then water it down in a watering can and use it on our veg and flowers. This year we have got bumper crops of tomatoes, runner beans, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes and strawberries. Our grass looks great as does our sunflowers (six foot tall +) and all of our palms and flowers. It's like making your own "Miracle Grow" The poo that I pick from the WIR goes into the composter to help break everything down quicker.

[The Dogmother]

You can also use that poo soup to water your compost heap if it's a bit dry.

[jennydavies]

Yes, we do. It's magic stuff and this is our first year of growing things ourselves. With the help of our girls we have so much growing we swop with neighbours for different fruits and veggies. Half a dozen eggs gets us a basket of apricots, a couple of large round courgettes - some potatoes, some tomatoes and a couple of KitKats for the kids - lettuces and some apples, a Cockerel - an oven ready naked-neck fed on corn (which we have to say was delicious). We think it's wonderful

[Luvachicken]

How much poo soup do you put in the watering can ? I've been using one of those mini pudding bowls as a measure- mind you I did threw in about 4 bowls in a 1 and 1/2 gallon watering can

[jennydavies]

We have a 5 litre watering can and I put around half a litre of poo soup in there. We put it on fruit plants, vegetables, flowers and grass. It hasn't done any harm to anything so I don't think it is too strong at that rate (it works out around 1 part poo soup to 10 parts water) I think your measurements are about right We also found that as soon as it goes into the ground the smell goes.

[Luvachicken]

Can you water that amount on the plants every day ?

And do the flies come on the grass if it's got watered down poo on it ?

[jennydavies]

I do watering with the poo soup once per week. It gets so hot here we have to put the sprinkler on the veg garden each evening. I haven't seen flies on the grass where I water with poo soup, it seems to disperse very quickly into the soil, you don't even get any smell from it.

[Luvachicken]

Thats good to know, as most of the poop goes in the bin as I don't have room for a compost bin. I will be making my own miracle grow from now on. Thankyou

[Jenny Smedley]

Hi ,

Can I ask some advice? In the past I've had a red mite problem so I clean out the Eglu with "Poultry Shield", followed by a spraying of "Mite Kill" when dry.

I dust my hens with "Red Mite" powder & "Louse "powder & sprinkle some in the nest box as well. Sometimes if I'm out of "Mite Kill" I use Ant powder with Prymethyrin (not sure if that's the correct spelling!) instead.

 

My question is this: is it still OK to compost the poo & paper shavings with all these substances in it? I'm a keen gardener, with a veg. patch but I'm concerned that my compost may be no good if I add my "powdered & sprayed"chicken poo?

 

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks, Jenny

[jennydavies]

I sprinkle Diatom in the hen-house, nest boxes and the WIR. When I rake out the Aubiose (inc Diatom) from the WIR I always put it all in the composter. I also use the mite kill products on the Girls and in the hen-house. I am not an expert, but I would imagine by the time the compost is ready to use (around 18 months to 2 years) anything in it would be well broken down and distributed. I still add the poo to the "poo soup " bucket when I am worming the girls. We haven't gone any "funnier" by eating the tomatoes etc.

[Stedic]

Diatom certainly isn't a problem in the compost, I've seen it recommended on non-chicken forums as a way to keep down ants and fruit flies. I sprinkled mine on the top of my compost and it did help.