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I was always taught that the best way to grow squash was to plant them on top of a pasture patty. In the past, I've used composted manure to create a slightly "hot" zone for them. I didn't have easy access to that when planting this year, and I've mixed about a pint of chicken litter with about twice that amount of slightly composted grass clippings to pump up the carbon, and about three times that of our sweet clay loam, using about a couple gallons of water to mix, planting the seeds on top of the hill in an overdressing of loam. Opinions on if I'm going to burn them because of the high N content of the litter?
Chicken manure is extremely high in nitrogen and yes it can burn. Chicken manure is also a known disease carrier and that's why it's not been approved for commercial retail sales.
I didn't do any such thing - and my squash has taken off! It's a monster. I picked five big zucchinis today! (we used Miracle Grow, as the soil is not that great, even with the black soil that we added and mixed in).
Chicken manure is extremely high in nitrogen and yes it can burn. Chicken manure is also a known disease carrier and that's why it's not been approved for commercial retail sales.
I'm not concerned about disease. The flock is healthy, no WNV or flu, treated for coocidosis, litter matured for about a month in a hot pile. If anything, I'm more concerned about the hormones or antibiotics that might have been in the feed.
Chicken litter is common here, and one traditional method of gardening is to pen a flock over a garden plot to till and fertilize it. What the gummint requires for mass distribution can be a lot different than what works on an individual highly controlled basis. If my tomato had salmonella, I could blame Henrietta and not have to DNA test the crops from a dozen states and worry about other folks impaired immune systems.
I'll just have to see if the N levels are too high in my hills. If I see die-off, maybe I can transplant.
I've also used composted chicken litter in my vegetable garden with no ill effects.
I used to spread lawn clipping and leaves on the floor of my hen's airy coop to give them something to scratch around in and to dilute their droppings a bit. From time to time I'd rake it out and throw it in the compost. It took approx. 6 months to completely fill one of two large compost bins I'd made. So once the second was filled, I'd dump the older one into the garden and mix it in.
Did I turn the compost or water it? Occasionally, but I wasn't anal about it. If there were uncomposted sections, I simply put them back into the compost cycle.
And yes, the vegetables grew well. And no, no one got sick from eating anything out of the garden.
This is an exerpt about chicken manure from the University of Iowa Ext Svc;
The H5N1 avian influenza virus has been transmitted from infected birds to mammals. In addition to wild birds and domestic poultry, the H5N1 virus has infected domestic cats, tigers, leopards, dogs, swine and humans. Approximately 50 percent of humans infected have died.
This is an exerpt about chicken manure from the University of Iowa Ext Svc;
The H5N1 avian influenza virus has been transmitted from infected birds to mammals. In addition to wild birds and domestic poultry, the H5N1 virus has infected domestic cats, tigers, leopards, dogs, swine and humans. Approximately 50 percent of humans infected have died.
Oh, please. There is so much missing in that panic poo that it isn't even funny. The hundred or so people infected were working close to poultry in crowded third world conditions. The barrier for infection in humans is more than just significant, it is enough that the CDC is more concerned about mutations of the virus than the virus itself.
So, lets examine the worst case scenario as given by professionals. Six million people worldwide die. That translates to a one chance in twenty of dying. Now figure the distribution of death, - most will be in third world countries, - most will be people who are very young, very old, or already ill. Chances of a healthy person, who has none of those factors, picking up the disease and dying are next to nil. Sure, in a general pandemic, something like that will sometimes happen, but even then the likelihood isn't there.
I don't blow things off without consideration. There are things I do worry about. I pick off any ticks as soon as I find them. I drive carefully. I never use my chainsaw when tired. I don't work outside when there is lightning. Am I also going to sanitize chicken poo in a pressure cooker before putting it in the garden? Am I going to wear garlic around my neck to ward off vampires? Nope.
If anything, the evidence is mounting that people who are routinely exposed to challenges to the immune system are far healthier and more resilient to disease than those who live a super-sanitary life.
If someone enjoys going through life being scared, they need to go to a Freddy Kruger movie.
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There is so much missing in that panic poo that it isn't even funny. The hundred or so people infected were working close to poultry in crowded third world conditions. The barrier for infection in humans is more than just significant, it is enough that the CDC is more concerned about mutations of the virus than the virus itself.
