Chicken droppings

[Springfever]

Hey all I have chickens and lots of straw with droppings mixed in it. Is it safe to put the straw directly in the garden?

[Springfever]

So I have a pretty good start for a compost pile then what else do you recommend it put with this to start a compost pile. I am new to composting and a 2nd year gardener.

[hendi_alex]

Add anything that is green or brown, but not vegetable plants or vines as you may spread disease. Don't throw meat or dairy products into the compost. You may want to read a little about composting, as too many greens can make for a putrid slick pile of muck. I use mostly leaves from hardwood trees, but also toss in weeds, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps for greens. Give the material a turning about once per month and it will break down more quickly.

IMO it is best to have three piles. One pile is for the newest ingredients. The next pile is for compost that is about half way decomposed. And the third pile is for the final material is ready to go into the garden. I have chickens and only put their droppings into the first pile. That way it has at least six months to a year to age before going into the garden. That aging period helps reduce chances that e. coli will cause a problem in your garden. I'm also careful in how the compost is applied to beds where vegetables that are eaten raw are grown. For example, you wouldn't want chicken manure residue to splash on the lettuce leaves which would be eaten raw. Those beds would be topped with older garden soil and perhaps mulched to help keep the plants clean.

[tomc]

I'm gonna echo two (or more) compost bins.

Any new-to-you garden and composting system never ever has enough finished compost for the first few years. Build 'em, let 'em rot, use 'em up.

[gepstein]

I cleaned the hen house all winter and put it directly into the garden, spreading it out. Some of the tomato plants are HUGE...but we also had So much rain this spring. It does need time to break down so where I am currently putting the bedding I know won't be ready till next summer.

[toxcrusadr]

FDA recommends at least 90 days after adding (fresh) manure to the garden before harvesting veggies that don't touch the soil, and 120 days for lettuce, root crops etc. that are in contact.

hendi_alex said not to use vegetable plant clippings, but I would limit that only to those you know are diseased. Even some of those blights etc. live in the soil and are not transmitted through the compost. In my yard almost everything goes into the compost with no ill effects. I keep out weeds that have gone to seed, tomato plants with blight, and Bermuda grass (a hated menace). 98% of everything goes in.