Environmental Stewardship for Horse Owners. Fertilizing with Manure. Manure nutrients come from the feed that the animals have eaten. Do you view it as an asset? crop yields and can lead to nitrogen filtering into ground- water like wells and aquifers. PNW 533.WSU Extension Bulletin Office, Washington State University, Box 645912, Pullman, WA, 99164-5912, 1-800-723-1763 or http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0533/pnw533.pdf. www.sare.org/publications/covercrops/covercrops.pdf. If you want more information about testing and estimating the nutrient value of manure from your farm, read “Fertilizing with Manure,” available from Washington State University Extension. Their nutrient value per ton of manure will be much less. The organic forms of nutrients come from the remains of plant tissue, cells, and bacteria that are in the manure. The nutrients in manure are a mixture of inorganic and organic forms. The simplest method is to spread tarps on the ground and weigh the amount of manure that falls on each tarp as the spreader passes over it. If you lose nutrients, the manure loses value, and you may harm nearby groundwater. The dangers of using chicken manure, Botswana farming Todays post is about the dangers of using chicken manure when vegetable farming, As farmers we know the high value of chicken manure in soil preparation so i am not going to tell you things that you already know. Overfertilization may reduce. According to Environmental Health News, the poultry industry produces up to 26 million tons of chicken manure each year in the United States alone 1. If you have more manure than you can use without risk- ing runoff or leaching, you will need to develop ways to sell the manure or give it away. Composting manure produces a more attractive product, reduces the volume of manure, and kills pathogens. tion. again, and measure how much land you covered (Figure 3). They’ll clean up the leftover plants and weeds, scratch up the soil and leave their powerful “fertilizer” as an added bonus. On-Farm Composting Handbook. time on our side. http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0533/pnw533.pdf. Better yet, allow the chickens to free range in the garden at the end of the summer harvest. Chicken manure, however, is a sought after fertilizer for organic gardeners. These slow- release nutrients become available to plants as the manure decays in the soil and releases the nutrients. It describes how to make manure on your farm an asset rather than a liability. Some composting methods do not need much equipment. According to this study, conducted by the University of Minnesota, even bin composting (in which the manure is maintained at a temperature between 130 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit for three days) is not a guarantee that all the bacteria has been destroyed. Other manures are too bulky for farmers to buy, but gardeners often seek them to enrich their soil (Figure 5). Composting requires lots of planning upfront and good management to produce a quality product. Pathogens can be a risk when fresh manure is applied to crops (1) that grow in or close to the soil and (2) that are eaten raw. Manure that contains lots of bedding will have fewer nutrients per pound than pure manure. The author wishes to thank Diane Huntrods, the LPES Project Manager, at MWPS, Iowa State University, for editing this fact sheet and coordinating its completion. The safest practice is to either allow the manure to age for the recommended time or incorporate it into the fall garden soil. In fact, most of the nutrients that animals eat end up in their manure. This issue is especially a problem for nutrient-rich manures such as poultry litter. Visit local composters, too, to look at their systems and learn about which methods could work best for you. Then six months later, your spring garden will be ready to go! These nutrients include ammonium nitrogen, soluble phosphate, and potassium salts. Tiny insects in the soil (Figure 1) break down the organic matter in the manure. In dry regions, salt may accumulate in the soil. NRAES-54, Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, www.nraes.org or 1-800-562-3618 (MWPS). As it breaks down, manure containing lots of bedding takes nitrogen from the soil. Much of that manure is used as fertilizer, and there are no requirements for the manure to be examined or treated before it’s used on farm fields. The author wishes to thank Marion Simon of Kentucky State University and Wayne Madson of Washington State University Extension, Colville, for their constructive reviews of this fact sheet. It’s important to not add fresh or “hot” manure directly to the garden in the spring, otherwise you’ll end up killing or actually burning your plants.