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I am eager to make use of the lovely manure my chickens are providing me with. I know that it needs to be fully composted before I can apply it to the veg patch, but I've only had the ladies a few weeks and I'm far too impatient for that. So I was wondering about making a liquid feed. This would work, wouldn't it? What ratio of poo to water should I use to make the feed? Then how much should I dilute the feed before I use it?

Half fill your chosen container with manure, top up with water, cover and leave for a month to stew.
Dilute 20:1 before use. Don't let the liquid manure get on the leaves of the plants you're feeding.
You could also use chopped up nettles or seaweed, almost fill the container, weigh down the nettles/seaweed with a rock or brick, top us with water and stew as above and dilute 10:1
Best of all IMO is comfrey dilute 50:50
All of these are rather stinky so find a secluded corner of the garden!

Here's a couple of places to give you an idea, Rosey......

http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com/liquidgold.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_5166853_fertili ... anure.html

Thanks for the links Julie.
Don't worry Marshlander, I'm well aware of the stink having made liquid feeds from nettles and grass clippings in the past. I usually wait for a North wind. That way the smell blows away from my nice neighbour, and towards the irritating one

Right, time to muck out the henhouse I think

Chicken manure doesn't need to be fully composted Rosey

If you are growing squash or courgette - dig a hole, fill with manure, plant seed, dust over with topsoil.
Or, use loads of it in a hot bed - use a cold frame or similar, put in about 5 inches of chicken poop, then a couple of inches of compost, plant seeds and cover - the poop creates heat as it decomposes and gives your plants a boost - I plan on trying melon like this in a few weeks.
I also use it straight on the potato beds this time of year to prepare them.

Having said all that, Chicken manure is a great accelerator for the compost bin too.

I never run out of things to do with poo