chicken poop for hay field

MSS3020

Well-known Member
I live couple miles from egg/chicken place... they hire a guy that spreads poo for them..

Thinking of using on pasture where horses are and hay field..heard it is excellent fertilizer..

Any comments about this.. How long would I have to keep horses contained before letting out on treated field??

Scott
 
Chicken manure tend to be hot so this time of year is the best time to put it on so rain and snow make it sock into the ground. I do that to my garden this time of year when I clean out the chicken houses
 

Can't really say about horses but I normally try to keep cows off of fields for 4-5 days, it isn't know to cause cows harm but they are known to eat some of the bigger chunks.
As for hay fields I hope you have good hay equipment, I have broiler houses and have been using chicken litter for over 12 years with out purchasing hardly any chemical fertilizer.
Putting 2-3 ton of litter per acre increased my hay yields 50% or more, when using chemical fertilizer my yields averaged 4 1/2 to 5 4x5 rolls per acre, now I'll average 7-8+ 4x5 rolls.
The most important thing is to have soil test done and adjust the amount spread according to test results, continued use at high application rates can cause nutrient levels to become to high thus locking the ground up which is worse than having poor ground, for that reason soil test are very important.
Chicken litter is some hot stuff, our's test out to were 1 ton is equal to 400lbs of triple 10 or 200 lbs of triple 19, that means spreading 3 ton of chicken litter per acre is about the same as applying 600lbs of triple 19 fertilizer per acre, that'll make the grass jump.
 
I saw it done one spring. Guy pulled a tank trailer with a slinger on it. What a mess and stunk to high heaven driving by for a couple of weeks. Results were awesome. No idea as to the stocking rules.
 
it tends to be higher in P than N, but also adds lots of micronutrients. Just watch the P build up with repeated use.
 
Chicken farmer I worked for as a kid had capacity for 16,000 birds in 3 barns, and one 15 acre field to spread the manure on. He raised broilers - 11 weeks from chick to shipping, He always planted and picked the corn field with a 1 row NI picker and Massey 150. Some years the corn would be 12' tall at least. Imagine it would have similar impact on just about anything you planted.

Tim
 
Was wondering myself, you really didnt get an answer.

Saw a few reports mentioning horses that suggest 3 weeks for horse grazing, they were kinda being ultra cautious in case the poultry litter is very fresh and has some issues (lots of un used feed and dead bird parts in it).

Probably a week with a rain will be good enough if its good clean litter but that is usually for cattle, there isnt as much info for horses.

I think if you want the litter to do much good, letting that pasture rest and grow for three weeks and the grasses will put down better roots and become healthier plants, and the fertility will do you a lot more good. If the horses are right back grazing shortly after it was spread, the grazed grass wont get a chance to get stronger and use the nutrients to become a better plant. So, three weeks might be a good idea any which way.

Paul
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top