# Chicken manure as fertilizer - how much



## Randy Rooster (Dec 14, 2004)

I have read on the net that average poultry manure is about a 2-2-1 nutrient value for NPK - how would this translate as a granular 10-10-10? I collected 6 five gallon buckets of dry chicken manure yesterday when cleaning the coop and want to use it on my sweet corn - how much should I apply to a 100 foot row? Ideas?


----------



## Old Swampgirl (Sep 28, 2008)

Better let it compost first. It might "burn" your young corn. If you do use it, side dress very carefully & only use a little per plant. Don't know how many rows you have. I'd mix in with compost, it I needed to use it right away. Remember, chicken manure is not like rabbit manure, which can be used directly without composting.


----------



## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

10-10-10 has ten pounds each of NPK per hundred lbs from the bag. An organic fertilizer, such as a manure with a 2-2-1 content will have two pounds of N per 100 pounds, two pounds of Phosphorus, and 1 pound of Potassium per hundred pounds of material applied.

If you have 100 feet of row, then figure you will need a three foot wide strip for growing it, considering the root spread..... thus you will have three hundred square feet of area to fertilize. Most recommendations for garden use a lbs per 1000sq. feet---and you have one third of that area.

Here is a pretty good publication showing that sweet corn needs about 4 to 6 lbs per 1000 sq. ft. http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/HG-510.pdf so, you will need anywhere from 1 1/3 lbs to 2 lbs of nitrogen---or ?????lbs of chicken manure spread in the planting area.....

BUT, here's the rub. The ???'s were inserted because, chicken manure is quite variable in the nutrient content. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa205 shows that variability, so you need to recalculate based on a more accurate measure of the actual NPK content in the various kinds--and the quality of the manure you have. Also, in most soils, unless they are severely depleted, you can almost ignore the phosphorus and potassium(your manure and soil reserves usually are enough) and concentrate on the N

So, as an example, the chart shows undercage scraped litter at 28 lbs of N /ton... That is .014 lb of N per pound of manure(or an analysis of 1.4, not 2)...You need 2 pounds N max, for your strip, so 2 divided by .014 equals 143 pounds of manure.

On the label of granular fertilizer, it says, "Guaranteed Analysis". With manures, there are no guarantees......

Hope this helps.

geo


----------



## kirkmcquest (Oct 21, 2010)

Not sure what you mean by 'translate to a granular 10-10-10'? Granular fertilizers are concentrated and so have higher ratios by volume. Manure adds a lot of other micro-nutrients and organic matter.

I agree with swamp girl chicken manure must be composted for a few months because it is considered a 'hot manure' and it will burn. After it is composted alot of people use it to 'side dress' corn rows.


----------



## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

If you don't have time to compost it, I've read, but have never tried, that you can water it down to make it safer to use on your crops. Since I've never tried it, it might be a good ideal to research it a little before trying.


----------



## Guest (Apr 26, 2011)

geo in mi said:


> 10-10-10 has ten pounds each of NPK per hundred lbs from the bag. An organic fertilizer, such as a manure with a 2-2-1 content will have two pounds of N per 100 pounds, two pounds of Phosphorus, and 1 pound of Potassium per hundred pounds of material applied.
> 
> If you have 100 feet of row, then figure you will need a three foot wide strip for growing it, considering the root spread..... thus you will have three hundred square feet of area to fertilize. Most recommendations for garden use a lbs per 1000sq. feet---and you have one third of that area.
> 
> ...


 That was very well done. Thanks!

FWIW I just used six wheelbarrow loads of manure laden pine shavings to plant twenty four hills of sweet potatoes. Makes a wonderful crop come October.


----------



## sticky_burr (Dec 10, 2010)

use the trinity . or part of it plant pole beans or peas on your corn to supply nitrogen. the 3rd trinity is squash/ground vines to keep critters from your corn and mulch and keep the soil from drying....

but yea compost it and add it all lol


----------

