Compost the manure. You can pile it up or put it in a barrel or even buy a composter. Let it decompose and you will have wonderful fertilizer. NEVER put fresh chicken manure on your flowers or vegetables. It is very high in nitrogen and needs to compost, first. Then, almost nothing beats it! Chicken dung is considered a HOT fertilizer and it will burn your plants if used fresh.
I have the best of both worlds......alpacas and goat poo for nitrogen but not a hot fertilizer----we compost it anyway with the horse and chicken manure and our garden is to die for! We deliver a truckload to my friend for her herb garden and she swears by it!
As far as the dog, training may curb the desire to catch the chickens, but some dogs will never leave them alone. I would start with a longline on your dog, clipped to your waist, so he can't go anywhere you don't want him to. Practice calling him and use that line to "reel" him in if he doesn't come on his own. Also, teach him "Leave it". Many a dog has been saved by responding to that command. I reinforce my puppy's training by having him sit and stay when I put his bowl of food down, and I tell him, "Leave it". He is NOT allowed to touch it without my approval and he will sit for one minute .......eyes on me, waiting for that command. I have used the same command when he goes after another dog or cat......"LEAVE IT!" and he stops his chase. It could be the difference between life and death for a hen, I suppose.
Train your dog is the only way and depending on the breed, it may still be for naught.
Good luck!
Laura
On Sat, Mar 2, 2013 at 2:55 PM, Rachel
<boyle_family@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi there, we've had 3 chickens since last May. They are doing great and laying almost daily.
My question is what do you do with the poo you shovel from the coop?
I would like to use it for fertilizer, but I don't want my yard smelling when the sun finally begins to shine in PA.
Also, any hints how we can train a new dog to stay away from the girls once they are able to free range again? We rescued a pup in January and the first warm day, they were all in the yard and the dog took most
of my Buff's tail feathers off......thankfully, they are growing back.
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