Perhaps, one of the most popular organic fertilizers for a garden and a kitchen garden was, is and will be chicken manure. It is popular not only because of its special beneficial properties, but also because it is always at hand, and even if you do not have a dozen chickens around the yard, you can easily find this tool in the store at a very nice price. Today we will talk about how chicken droppings are used, tell about its properties and features in use.
The composition and benefits of chicken droppings in the garden
No wonder so many years chicken droppings occupy a leading position as one of the highest quality organic fertilizers.
Did you know? Chicken dung in its composition is much better and more beneficial than cow manure.The composition of chicken manure is quite rich:
- water - 50-70%;
- phosphoric acid - 1.5-2%;
- nitrogen - 0.7-1.9%;
- lime - 2.4%;
- potassium oxide - 0.8-1%;
- magnesium - 0.8%
- sulfur - 0.5%.
In addition to these elements, the litter still contains a large number organic matterthat stimulate the active growth of plants:- copper;
- manganese;
- zinc;
- cobalt;
- auxins
How to collect chicken droppings
Before using chicken manure in the garden, it must be properly collected. 
Important! If it is possible to collect chicken litter only with a litter of natural materials, such as corn, peat or straw, it is also possible to use it, chicken litter will not lose its properties.Chicken droppings, despite their usefulness for plants, can harm a person rather badly if he is treated incorrectly. It contains large amounts of methane and ammonia, which is why It is necessary to use gloves, a respirator and a protective suit when collecting and working with it. Also, care must be taken, and because in the chicken litter there is a huge number of worms. Chicken droppings can be collected at any time except during the winter. Collect chicken droppings with a scoop / scoop, then the place where the manure was collected is “raked” and, trying not to touch the ground, is harvested by putting it in a wheelbarrow. After the chicken manure has been collected, it must be dried.
How to store chicken droppings
Before telling you how to use bird droppings in the garden or in the garden, we will learn how to properly store fertilizer. It is best to store chicken manure "in a pile": this can be done either at ground level, or dig a hole. The pit should be 2-3 meters wide and 1 meter deep. At the bottom of this pit lay a layer of leaves, wood waste or straw.
Did you know? If the pit is deeper than 1 meter, there will be less oxygen, microorganisms will die and after that sour litter.
The pile should be well packed and not loose; You should not be afraid to do this, because chicken litter does not tend to "blot up".It is better to place such a pile away from a residential building, a well or a reservoir. Elevations and shadows are best for placement. If you decide to store the litter in a box, then from time to time it should be poured with superphosphate (in powder form).
How to make the feeding of chicken manure
There are many ways to make chicken manure fertilizer; we'll talk about the most common and simple. For cooking, you can use as a "home" litter, and fertilizer purchased in the store.
Did you know? Chicken manure is almost never used in its pure form, as it can damage plants due to its high ammonia content.
How to make an infusion of chicken litter
Infusion of chicken manure is very popular among gardeners, not only because of its availability, but also because of its ease of preparation and speed of action. There are two ways to make an infusion of chicken manure. If you bought chicken manure in granules, the algorithm of action will be as follows:
- Manure fall asleep in a barrel and fill with water.
- Leave to wander for 2 weeks.
- Dilute with water in the ratio of 1:20.
This fertilizer should be used very carefully: 0.5 liters for one plant. If the smell coming from the container prevents you, then 300-350 g of copper sulphate can be added to the solution, it will destroy the unpleasant odor.
If you use domestic manure, then you can prepare an infusion from it like this: the required amount of raw materials (chicken litter) should be collected with a scoop and mixed in containers with water. This solution is left for a day, and then, overflow into a watering can, use. In order for the production to be waste-free, the thickest part remaining at the bottom can be used as a larger fertilizer for plants. After the procedure with a decoction of chicken manure plants must be "rinsed" with clean water, especially the leaves. Infusion can be kept for 3 days at a temperature of 20 ° C.
How to cook humus on the basis of chicken manure
Quite often you can hear that manure and humus are one and the same. I want to dispel this myth: they are different things. Humus is well settled and rotted manure. Humus based on chicken manure is an excellent fertilizer, which is sold in abundance in flower shops, and it can also be prepared by yourself.
The process of cooking humus is quite long, and there are many ways to do this. Usually, the manure is laid out in a compost box or a compost pit and is covered from above. For shelter suitable roofing material, durable film, all kinds of shields. It is important that the box be ventilated, or, if we are talking about a compost pit, then there should be small openings in the shelter for air to enter.
Did you know? It's okay if rain flows under cover - the main thing is that the water does not penetrate deep into the mass.
Humus "prepares" for one and a half to two years and shows its "readiness" with appearance: the consistency will become loose, the color is uniform, and the volume will decrease several times. If you want to accelerate the ripening, in the summer it can be tilted slightly with forks and supplemented with humus with the preparations “Baikal”, “Shining-3” and others.
Chicken litter application
Applying chicken droppings is a rather ancient tradition. Gardeners have long been talking about its benefits to garden and garden plants. How to use chicken droppings in your garden and garden - read on.
How to fertilize chicken litter trees and bushes
For fertilizing trees and shrubs fit chicken manure in any form. It is better, of course, to use home litter, because store-run fertilizer can "fly into a pretty penny." Under one adult tree, you will need approximately one bucket of top dressing based on chicken manure in the warm season. During the season you can feed the trees again using litter (litter mixed with peat or any other material, where the content of pure litter is much lower). As for the bushes, it is better to feed them exclusively litter and in accordance with the requirements of the plant. The litter serves as a good fertilizer, because it can also play the role of mulch, which protects the roots of the plant from freezing, and due to the fact that such fertilizer decomposes rather slowly, all nutrients enter the plant little by little and gradually.
Important! After using the fertilizer, the main component of which is chicken manure, you should let it lie down and gradually absorb, and during the fertilizer procedure it is important not to fall on the leaves of the plant, in order to avoid satiety or burn.
Fertilizer vegetables
Chicken manure for the garden is an excellent tool for growing healthy and high-quality crops. For feeding vegetables that are harvested several times per season, chicken manure is an ideal feeding, but it should be used carefully. It is better not to use fresh compost or humus to feed low-growing crops. In this case, it is better to fertilize the plant with a liquid top dressing, but in such a way that the solution does not get on the leaves and directly on the root. Garlic and onions can be fertilized on the basis of chicken manure only at the beginning of the season and only once. Potatoes should be fertilized with chicken litter using the litter method. Tomatoes, peppers need to be fertilized also very carefully: chicken manure contains a large number of microorganisms that can cause many diseases, so it is better to feed the soil before you plant the plants (for several months). 
Fertilizer berries chicken droppings
Chicken litter for the garden - a complex thing that is perfect and berry crops and fruit trees. To fertilize the berries it is better to use infusions of chicken manure, and if you have already decided to use compost or humus, then it should be done in a cold season. Especially carefully you need to behave when feeding strawberries and strawberries, as if the berry itself will be in contact with such fertilizer, it can be infected with helminths. As for berries such as currants, raspberries, blackberries, you can use liquid fertilizer based on chicken manure or manure, but this should be done once a season to prevent satiety.
As you can see, the content of chickens brings not only eggs and fresh meat, but also an excellent organic helper for your plants in the form of chicken droppings, which, if properly used, will become indispensable in the garden and in the garden.
