Handling Manure and Growing Feed for Urban Chickens Nick Schneider

1. Handling Manure and Growing Feed for Urban Chickens Nick Schneider Winnebago County Agriculture Agent March 26, 2011

2. What will endanger the urban chicken movement?

3. What will endanger the urban chicken movement? • Neighbors upset about odor • Perceptions of poor animal care • Public health concerns from bacteria • Noise • Pest/Flies • Environment • What else?

4. How to handle chicken manure? • Salmonella, Campylobacter or others • Clean nest boxes once per week to remove dirty litter • Remove and bed regularly when moist • Wash hands and/or wear gloves when cleaning pens • Anticipate around 75 pounds per year per hen

5. Manure Nutrient Content - Solid First-year available nutrient content averages.1 SPECIES N P2O5 K - - - - - - - - - - - lbs/ton - - - - - - - - - - - Dairy 3 (4)2 3 7 Beef 4 (5) 5 9 Horse 3 (4) 4 8 Swine 7 (9) 6 7 Chicken 20 (24) 30 24 1 Source: Wisconsin soil test labs. 2 Use values in parenthesis for incorporated manure.

6. Manure Gases • May or may not have odor. • Two gases are lighter than air and two gases are heavier than air. Methane Ammonia Hydrogen sulfide Carbon Dioxide Manure

7. How to dispose of chicken manure? Fresh Disposal or Compost? • Cattle manure rate: aprx ¾ to 1 lb per 1 ft2 • Poultry manure rate: aprx 0.1 to 0.2 lb per 1 ft2 • Flower beds preferred – watch for ammonia and salt burn. • Bury to reduce odor and burn, and save N. • Vegetable garden: 120 days from harvest if soil contact or 90 days without soil contact.

8. How to dispose of chicken manure? Fresh Disposal or Compost? • Sealed bin. • Turning the compost generates heat. • Heat kills weed seed and many insects, diseases, and bacteria. • Reduces volume. • Finished compost can then be spread on the garden, flowerbed, or lawn.

9. Compost What is Composting? • A system that speeds up natural process of decay • Living microbes and other organisms do the work Changes organic matter into a humus-rich soil amendment From UW Master Gardener Program

10. Wisconsin’s Recycling Law • In January 1993, Wisconsin’s Recycling Law banned yard waste from landfills & most incinerators. • No leaves, grass clippings, garden debris or twigs, brush & branches smaller than 6 inches in diameter can go to landfills. From UW Master Gardener Program

11. Compost Basics • Bacteria • Carbon • Nitrogen • Oxygen • Water • Macroorganisms Temperature From UW Master Gardener Program

12. Achieving Balance • Proper carbon : nitrogen ratio By Volume: 2-3 parts Brown to one part Green By Weight: Equal weights Brown Green From UW Master Gardener Program

13. When is it Done? • Most plant parts are indistinguishable • Has an earthy smell • Is crumbly • Doesn’t reheat after turning End up with about 1/3 original volume From UW Master Gardener Program

14. Bins • Commercial • Many styles • Usually plastic, often recycled material • Home-built • Don’t use lumber treated with CCA

15. Hot Pile Method • Thin layer of coarse materials • Equal weights of brown and green • Water layers as it is built • Finish with brown • Turn at least 2 times during the first 7-10 days • Then turn every week or two • Water when turning; keep as damp as a wrung-out sponge

16. Grow Your Own Feed • 50 pounds of conventional chicken feed $12-$15 • Organic chicken feed: $20-$30 per 50 pounds • Using 4 oz feed per day, a 50 pound bag can last 200 days per bird What does it take to grow 50 pounds of feed?

17. Grow Your Own Feed What does it take to grow 50 pounds of feed? 100 bu/acre corn = 400 ft2 60 bu/acre oats = 1050 ft2 2000 pounds/acre sunflower = 1090 ft2 Barley and wheat have awns – very itchy Will these be a balanced meal? Not enough protein or minerals like calcium.

18. Summer Foraging Chicken tractor Chapter 9 Biological weed management Integrated Weed Management: “One Year’s Seeding . . . .”

19. Eradication of yellow nutsedge by pasture chickens. Source: Mayton Chapter 9 Biological weed management Integrated Weed Management: “One Year’s Seeding . . . .”

20. Thank you!